The Cats of Zurich
by Icey the Fox
Summary: Based on Diane Duane's The Book of Night With Moon. This tells the tale of the Zurich gating team, and the amazing change that will soon be befalling their team.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, wake up!"

The small cat moaned, opened his eyes. Slowly, he rolled over so he could glare at the female calico with a look of pure annoyance. She sat there, washed and fed, looking down at him with a sweet look splayed across her features.

"Why are you happy?" he asked, pushing himself up so that he was leaning heavily on his haunches. "It's before dawn. You're not allowed to be happy when the sun isn't up yet."

"There's always a reason to be happy."

"Not in the morning, Dauhieh," he insisted. He started washing himself, forcing the rebellious, dark grey fur down.

"I've got something that'll make you happy," Dauhieh informed him, turning to leave.

"And what would that be?"

"Well, I'haach, it just so happens that Chraih got some sausage this morning."

I'haach abruptly stopped his washing and looked up, his ears perking slightly. "Bratwurst?"

"Bratwurst," she confirmed, leaving him.

His whiskers went forward, and he returned to his tabby fur, forcing it down as quickly as possible. One of the few things he liked about mornings was breakfast, and breakfast in his den was what kept him going every day.

He finished, then hopped off the end of the small bed to the slightly dirty carpet below. Crossing the sun washed dusty fabric, he headed out the door which led straight to a short staircase. As he went, he felt along the mental pathways that connected him to his team. Each one felt stable and unthreatened, so he ran down the last few steps and focused the rest of his attention on the meal that was soon to come.

Pushing through the slightly open door at the foot of the steps, I'haach stepped into the butcher's shop proper. He made his way padding slowly behind the counter in to where his _ehif _stood, wrapping up fresh meat in brown paper. A quick cast around confirmed that Dauhieh was already enjoying a large piece of sausage in the corner with a very light marmalade tabby. The second looked up and nodded at him as I'haach walked in, then returned to his sausage.

He walked over to his _ehif, _rubbing up against his ankle. "Good morning, Chraih," he greeted him in ailurn.

Chraih looked down, and his bright eyes lit up. "Hey, there's my boy!" he exclaimed, bending down to rub I'haach's neck, right at the base. "Big purr, there, eh puss?"

"Oh please, you know I can't resist that," I'haach protested, feeling the deep purrs in his throat.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Chraih told him, reaching up to the counter. "You want your breakfast, don't you?"

"In the name of Queen Iau, yes!"

The hand came back down holding half of a bratwurst sausage down, just out of I'haach's reach. Although he already knew it wouldn't work, I'haach stood up on his haunches in a very unbalanced manner and swiped at the sausage futilely. He tried again, then fell backwards after losing his balance.

"You realise that this could be considered torture?" I'haach asked picking himself up and trying one last time before simply sitting down.

Chraih laughed a bit, then dropped the sausage down to I'haach. I'haach, for his part, grabbed the sausage in his mouth as it fell, and walked over to the other two cats.

The marmalade was laughing softly under his breath. "You shouldn't let him manipulate you like that. You're really losing my respect."

"Are you kidding?" Dauhieh asked, laughing at him. "If he cared what people think of him, then he'd be both in a different profession, and a different den probably, so he wouldn't have to put up with you."

"She's got a point, Mano," I'haach told him, then busied himself with tearing away at the sausage in front of him.

"Whatever you say," Mano told him. "_I'm_ just saying that it's getting tough to defend the territory on my end of the work."

"_Your _end of the work?" Dauhieh and I'haach both said at the same time. Their whiskers were so far forward, they could have fallen off.

"All you do is play hauissh all day!" Dauhieh laughed.

"Oh, come now," Mano looked to I'haach for defence. "You know what I'm talking about!"

"Nope."

"You're a tom! You must've been busy with hauissh in at least one of your lives!"

"Nope. Too busy with wizardry."

"In _every _life?"

"Yes. And I'm too busy with eating right now to speak much more."

"What, is food all that matters to you?"

"Food and wizardry, and if one gets interrupted, I'll shred the ears of those responsible," I'haach informed him, accentuating the point by raking at the sausage with his claws. Taking the point, Mano turned his attention back to Dauhieh.

"But anyways, what are you doing at the metro today?"

"The usual stuff," Dauhieh told him, looking amusedly between the two toms.

I'haach sighed. "Diagnostics."

"Diagnostics," Dauhieh hissed in pleasure. "It's been too long since I last had to do them."

I'haach rolled his eyes as he ripped another piece off of the sausage. Fortunately, during the recent event during which all of the interstellar wizards past the age of latency, he'd been too young for it to affect him. His distinguished partner, however, had lost her ability to gate, and since the situation was resolved the day before, Dauhieh had been totally obsessed with the idea of getting back into the game.

"Myself and Sihm, however," I'haach said finally, "could do without diagnostics for a life or two." I'haach stopped to think for a moment, then said to Someone neither of the other two knew was listening, _Well, she could do without them for a life or two, but I'd be fine for one life._

"Either way," Dauhieh continued, "please finish that bratwurst, because I want to get out there!"

"Fine!" I'haach yelled out, and swallowed the last of his sausage. "We'll see you later Mano."

"Whatever you say, I'haach," he said, then breathed breaths with him. "Hunt's luck."

"Luck, Mano."

The two cats made their ways out from behind the counter, and walked out into the street.


	2. Chapter 2

I'haach and Dauhieh weaved among the traffic of Banhofstrasse. As they walked they spoke with each other of the many things going on around them recently.

"Well, it's weird enough that the entire multiverse was nearly destroyed, and that during that time a few species had their choice, and not to mention that most of us lost our wizardly abilities for a day or so, but I mean, you couldn't even save me a piece of pastrami from New York!"

"Hey, it was a busy time," I'haach defended. "Besides, were you really expecting me to hold off Sihm, Siffhah, _and _Arhu from a piece of pastrami?"

Dauhieh seemed to think about it as they walked, then said, "Yes, I was."

I'haach stopped to hiss in annoyance. Suddenly, he felt a massive, overpowering feeling of disorientation at the base of his neck down to the center of his spine. He stopped for a moment and his hiss came out louder and more prolonged for a moment. Then, the man who had stepped on him took another step, and continued walking. Well, not really stepped _on_ him, it was more like through him.

"I hate being stepped on while I'm sidled," he informed Dauhieh once he'd ran to catch up with her.

"That's why you should look where you're walking," she said innocently, then added, "Besides, you should've gotten used to it by now. How many lives have you been a wizard for again? Seven?"

I'haach smiled ruefully as he thought of that. She did have a point. This was his eighth life, and he'd been a wizard in all of his previous seven lives. Also, in every one, he'd lead a gating team, so that now, though the most senior gates he'd ever worked were in Montreal, the powers considered him a senior of sorts, and an expert of sorts on all small service gates. He'd also kept virtually the same physical appearance throughout. _And it doesn't make life any easier that I have to keep working with my old teams under new leaders who look at me as a jumped up kitten, while the others see me as the exact same cat they used to know, down to the hair, every time._ He unconsciously licked the large white scar which wound its way down from a half-torn off left ear, down to a hair length away from the top of his eye, and his whiskers went forward slightly. _Well, I guess I have changed a bit._

"It doesn't make getting stepped on any easier, though," he finally said.

"I'll give you that," she responded.

They continued on for a long while. Finally, Dauhieh broke the silence. "Where did Zach said he was meeting us?"

"Apparently right on this corner," he said, then began reaching for his mental connection to his fellow wizard. "Just let me check."

"No need, kitten."

A large, fully black cat emerged from the shadows of an alley a meter or so from the corner. He was obviously at a mid to young age, but not young enough for his body and everything about him to suggest pure physical power and, to an attentive onlooker, a strange roving quality in his deep blue eyes. The first thought that came to mind when someone saw him was a graceful, if compact, panther.

"Hunt's luck, Zach," I'haach greeted him.

"Luck, kitten," Zach said. The two breathed breaths, and they smirked at each other. "You ate well at the butcher's this morning."

"And from what I can tell, you faired just as well with the dumpster. What is that, exactly?"

Zach paused to breathe with Dauhieh, before turning back to him and saying, "Leftover calamari rings from that nice place on Richtigstrasse. They throw out the best stuff there!"

"Apparently so," Dauhieh said. Though she tried to make it sound dismissive, the envy in her voice was evident. Dauhieh had a particular weakness for seafood. The rest of the team always joked that it had to do with her being such a 'water cat'.

"So, what are we doing today?" Zach asked as he turned his attention back to I'haach, "kitten?"

I'haach just sighed. As each life came and went, he was recruited for leadership earlier and earlier, so that in this life he'd been assigned to the Zurich gating team at the age of a couple of weeks. No matter what one might think, that did _not_ make leadership any easier, especially with Zach, the former only tom cat on the team who also happened to be four years older than him, and just entering his physical prime, when I'haach was appointed leader. Tom cats entering their physical prime do not take well to being ordered around by a literal kitten. Thus, Zach had taken to calling I'haach by 'kitten' as a means of asserting his authority, and in hopes it would put I'haach in his place.

Quite the contrary. As I'haach had become a younger leader in each life, he'd gotten used to having to prove himself, and also extremely good at it. Truly, in the first month of their time together, I'haach had managed to prove himself as not only a skilled and mature leader, but very good in a tight spot. His scar was a testament to that rite. He'd earned it putting up both a magical shield for the group, and a physical one after the magical one fell while they were fighting errant dinosaurs in Grand Central Station in New York. Yes, Grand Central Station in New York. Ever since, Zach had started calling him kitten as a kind of affectionate term one would give to a younger sibling.

"Much to Dauhieh's ecstasy, we're doing diagnostics."

"Jubilations," Zach said, and meant it. I'haach rolled his eyes. They had _really _missed their wizardry.

"Well," I'haach said, "Sihm said she would meet us at the station, so why don't we just teleport there now?"

"Aw, but my little leader," Zach scolded in a slightly mocking tone, "I thought you wanted us to conserve as much energy as possible at all times."

"That I did, and that order still stands," I'haach told him. "But, seeing as you two won't shut up about magic until we get there and start getting some work done, why not do some now?"

"I call construction!" Dauhieh said quickly.

"I call power source!" Zach said, equally quickly.

"I call a free ride," I'haach muttered under his breath, watching the two of them start working in a flurry of activity to create the magic circle and add the coordinates. _And they think _I'm _the juvenile? _he asked Her, wherever She was.

"I'haach, come check your name!" Dauhieh yelled over to him.

He ran over and checked it. Everything seemed fine, except…

"What's that?" he asked Dauhieh. She came over to him and gazed over his shoulder at the figure in the Speech. "I don't remember that in my name!"

"It's in your name, check it with Her."

He did, and it was right. Still…

"I've never seen that one before, anywhere."

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," Zach yelled over. "We can check it with the linguist later. Let's go."

I'haach sighed, then ran over to his place in the circle.

"Everyone ready?" Dauhieh asked.

"Born ready."

"That is so cliché, and I am also ready."

"Alright," she said, and then her voice took on an echoing quality and everything else went quiet as she began reading. Everything leaned in, and I'haach felt a moment of extreme pressure, and then a loud _crack _filled the air.


	3. Chapter 3

_…_a loud _crack! _filled the air.

I'haach, Dauhieh, and Zach came out of their teleportation spell feeling slightly disoriented, but otherwise fine. The tram station was rather huge, and filled with people. As Zach had mentioned on their visit to Grand Central Station, they worked in one of the less beautiful places. However, each person on their team knew that if the powers wanted them there, then it was there that they would stay.

They stepped over to the single-rail tracks, and there was Sihm, waiting for them and propping herself up with it so that she could get her fingers best into the matrix of bright threads and strands.

"Hunt's luck, Sihm," I'haach said as he approached her, gazing up and down her beautiful white and light-brown Siamese fur. She was only slightly older than he physically, and Dauhieh and I'haach secretly believed that she was still early on in her lives as well, from how she interacted with others. She was, to be said, rather arrogant with youth, and the magical blast of wizardry which was still quite new to her, was still powerful enough to cloud her judgment. However, she was an amazing linguist, knowing more words and figures in the Speech than all three of them.

"Luck, I'haach," she said distractedly. "Here, take a look at this, Dauhieh."

I'haach and Dauhieh shared an amused look. Always straight to business with Sihm. Dauhieh approached and looked over at the strings.

"See, right here," Sihm said, gently reaching forward and grabbing one string between her teeth. "This little group here is perfectly fine, but that single string, right here, seems to have something wrong with it."

"Alright, Dauhieh, you check that out," I'haach ordered, then turned back to Sihm. "Meanwhile, you can help me with a little problem I have."

"What kind?" Sihm asked as she passed a few strings at a time to Dauhieh. "One that only a linguist could handle?"

I'haach flirted his tail yes as she finished giving the last strings to Dauhieh. He then brought the image of the mystery symbol to his mind and wrote it in the air with his tail. It hung there, glittering and shining in the daylight.

Sihm circled the thing as it hung, a concentrated expression on her face. The symbol was strange. There was a very tall and thin triangle, with a purposeful square in the middle that held a likeness of an eye. Unlike most figures in the Speech, it didn't have a curving or swooping form; it was straight and very well drawn. Finally, Sihm stopped circling, and stared with a confused expression. "I've never seen anything like that."

"No?" Zach asked, getting interested now. "Not even in Jakub's electronic wizard's manual that you're always reading?" Jakub was their human advisory wizard, who shared Sihm's attraction with words.

"No, you don't understand, I'haach. This symbol doesn't exist. There isn't a single symbol in the Speech with a right angle in it, let alone a square. Triangles occasionally, but not that sharply pointed. This isn't a figure in the Speech."

That made I'haach sit down. If Sihm said it, he believed her, and she seemed unusually sure of this.

"For curiosity's sake, where did you find that?"

"Check I'haach's name in the speech."

Sihm's eyes went unfocused as she communicated with the One.

"The Tom's balls," I'haach swore.

"This does complicate things," Zach said, stepping over to him.

"I had really hoped things would calm down after that whole episode with the end of the universe."

"Hey, we're wizards. Time off isn't what we were expecting when we entered our line of work."

"Too true."

"Wow," Sihm, said, exiting her trance, then blinked. This was because the word 'wow' were exactly Dauhieh's vocalised feelings at that moment.

"What is it, Dau?" I'haach asked.

"This thread," she explained, releasing the rest of the strings and simply pulling that one out. "It's malfunctioning. But not because of the gate itself, it's its real world coordinates that aren't responding."

"Meaning…" Zach asked.

"Meaning that there's a ripple with wizardry at those coordinates, and it's powerful enough to affect the gates," I'haach answered for her.

They were silent for a short while. Anything real word that was powerful enough to affect the gates, no matter how little, was going to be huge. Then Dauhieh continued.

"Also, there's one more problem. This problem has been in place for roughly… eight months."

"If it's been there for eight months, why haven't we picked it up before?" Zach asked.

"Feel it," she said, and passed him the thread.

He took it, and felt along its length. "There's nothing there."

"Try about an inch to downwards."

He slowly ran his claw down. For a split second, his face lit up with understanding, then that look disappeared. He was confused for a second, then ran it up a slight bit more… there. "Less than a claw's width."

"Exactly," Dauhieh said. "It's tiny. Hardly noticeable. No wonder we missed it. Besides, we don't usually check this string."

There was silence again. Then, finally, I'haach said, "Well, I guess we've got two things to do."

"List them," Zach said.

"Well, first of all, we need to find out where this is and what is wrong with it. Is that thing wide enough to open a gate there?"

"No, just too small," Dauhieh said, and Zach nodded his assent.

I'haach hissed in annoyance, then continued. "In that case, I'm sending the three of you to Berlin to visit Jakub. Get clearance to do a manual check down world. There, you'll have to get the saurians to find the source of our problematic string. One of you will have to operate the gate from down there, while the other two go where you need to go, and find out what's wrong. If necessary, I'll clear a low level timeslide to eight months ago to find out what happened. Is that clear?"

"Yes, kitten," Zach said.

"Where will you be, per chance?" Sihm asked.

"I," I'haach informed them, "will be in New York finding out what this symbol means and where it came from."

"Why New York?"

"Firstly because that wizard Dairine lives there, and she's got an amazing wizard's manual computer for these sorts of things. Secondly, because I need to check in with Rhiow on her situation. Finally, to find a piece of pastrami for Dauhieh."

"Don't leave me out of that part of the plan."

"Or me."

I'haach's whiskers went forward. "Understood. Zach, would you mind opening that gate for me?"

"Already done," Zach said, and the gate opened up to Grand Central Station. It was dark. "It's only three o'clock there."

"I'm sure that Rhiow won't mind," I'haach said, leaping through. He turned before the gate closed, and said, "Oh yeah, and by the way. It's nice having the two of you back on the team."

"Great being back, kitten."

With that, the rip closed, and I'haach was alone in the dark station. He started forward, and started heading to a far away apartment building.


	4. Chapter 4

After I'haach had stepped through the world gate, Dauhieh began rearranging the hyperstrings controlling the gate into a new configuration.

"So, does anyone else think that I'haach should be with us on this one, or just me?" Zach asked, stretching to show off his impressive muscles to the two queens.

"Dream on," Sihm told him, then quickly gave him a shallow and short scratch on his left haunch. Zach slipped and fell, hissing in annoyance more than pain. "It's not like there's any threat of attack or something like that during this little trip downside."

"Are you kidding?" Zach asked, getting up and glaring at her. "Alright, you need to get this into your head, kitty-pet, and get it in fast. Everything in this business is dangerous, especially downside."

"But I thought that the New York team dealt with all the problems with the saurians!"

"They did," Dauhieh said, pulling her claws out of the matrix. "However, that doesn't suddenly mean that it's safe. We're talking about going to the source of world gates, and in particular a world gate that has a strange unrecognisable malfunction in it. Who do you think could cause that neat of a problem in a gate?"

Sihm thought for a moment before answering. "Nobody. There isn't a cat living that I've heard of that could make that kind of a job. Only someone who's…" Sihm's eyes lit up, "someone who's achieved transcendence could achieve that."

"And who _has _achieved transcendence?"

"The gods," she said, looking over to Zach. "So you all think that the Lone Power is in on this?"

_Exactly right, _came a voice in Dauhieh's head. Dauhieh instantly recognized it as I'haach's. While normally two wizards wouldn't be able to use such communication at a distance that great, Dauhieh and I'haach had achieved a state which some called 'synchronisation'. It meant that the two could walk through each other's mind as they pleased, so long as they weren't too busy with something on their own end. _You've got to give her credit. Most wizards her age wouldn't be able to figure that out._

_True, but Zach had a reason to get mad at her. If she goes around thinking like that, she'll be dead before she's any use. And besides, what are you doing listening in? Couldn't you be doing anything more productive down there?_

_It's three A. M., _I'haach's voice sounded dry on the other end. _Do you know how hard it is to wake Rhiow, Urruah or Arhu?_

Dauhieh shook her head. She could imagine. She tuned back into the conversation that she was having with the other two wizards.

"Don't you think we should get going?" Dauhieh asked, flicking her tail towards the gate behind her.

"As soon as you've opened the gate, we'll go," Zach said.

"It's open, Zach."

"Wha—"

"I've been doing this for a long time; I know what I'm doing, and I can do it in a way that even _you _wouldn't be able to detect too easily."

"Well then why can't we see it?" Sihm asked.

"It's in non-visual format."

"Oh," both Zach and Sihm said together.

"Let's go then," Zach said casually, and jumped at the gate…

…to land on his face on the pavement.

Zach hissed in pain and fury. "I told you it wasn't open!"

"And you believed me anyways," Dauhieh observed, her whiskers forward. "Learn to trust yourself more."

"What is it with you and I'haach?" Zach asked in annoyance as she went back to the gate. "The two of you are always going into that 'learning from every moment' thing. Don't the two of you ever relax?"

Sihm gaped at Zach, as though in shock. "I'haach, take a break? The world would fold in on itself."

Dauhieh laughed quietly. "I doubt the reaction would be that dramatic, but it would be something."

"You have to hand it to the kitten though," Zach said, admiration clear in his eyes. "He's probably the best leader I've ever had."

"Is that so?" Dauhieh asked. "Does that include the short time that I was leading after Rehleh fell?"

Rehleh had been Dauhieh and Zach's leader before I'haach came along. She fell from extreme old age about a month before I'haach appeared to take the responsibilities, and during that time Dauhieh lead the two based solely on experience.

"Well, not to insult you, Dauhieh, but you don't really know how to lead a team. Nor a duo for that matter. You're much better at being a gate technician than a leader."

"I'll take that as a compliment. And to prove I deserve that compliment, here is one gate leading to the Old Downside."

"Thanks, where is it?"

"Right in front of my face."

"May I?"

"Be my guest."

Zach jumped at the gate, and fell past to smack his face into the pavement again.

"Sorry," Dauhieh said, the tone of her voice suggesting anything but sorrow, "I must have gotten it wrong. It's actually right here." She jumped through the gate.

Sihm smirked at Zach's stunned expression. "Don't hit your tail on the way through," she advised, jumping through after Dauhieh.

Zach hissed again, then hopped through, making a point of catching the trip wire with his rear claw.

He landed on the other side, the gate closing behind him. He sat down, about to have a nice scratch, but then figured that it might be smarter not to, seeing as his claws were now about three inches longer. Taking a look around, he admired the landscape. The rolling plains, the dense forest, the clear blue sky, and most impressive, the mountain. It was unbelievably tall, and seemed to go on for kilometres. More impressive still was the top of the tree protruding from the summit of the massive natural structure. Its many branches and levels went on to eternity and, when looked at, seemed to have the entire universe in it for a moment, and then all of time the next, and nothing not a moment later. Next, he turned his gaze at his comrades, knowing that this would be even more impressive than the landscape.

Dauhieh's patchy calico coat had taken on a darker shade, giving her a strange dirty camouflage kind of look. Her teeth were nothing impressive, but her claws were a different matter completely. They were long and pearly white, looking incredibly lethal to be on the wrong side of.

Across from her stood Sihm, an elegant lioness with beautiful peach-coloured fur. Much like most other cats, her natural defences were greatly enhanced by this world, with her claws and teeth sharp and jagged enough to mirror the sharpness of her tongue.

Finally, of course, there was Zach, who now looked exactly like a rather strong specimen of a panther; healthy, strong, and fast. The only possible difference between himself and a normal panther were his teeth, with the canines extending roughly an inch beyond the confines of his mouth. Looking at his two partners, and back down at himself again, Zach actually felt that they were worthy of the term 'in-pride'.

Dauhieh smirked. "It never really gets old."

Zach put his much longer than usual whiskers forward around his teeth. "Never."

"Life would have to be pretty exciting in order for this to seem normal," Sihm muttered.

"You'd be surprised how exciting life gets in our business."

"Extremely," said a voice to their left. The cats turned to see a tall reptilian figure with dull green scales shimmering in the sunlight of the plain. There was a strange look of contented wisdom in his eyes, a strange _I know more than you and it feels great _kind ofair.

Dauhieh inclined her head. "Dai Sitho, cousin."

"Dai," Ressa, fifth wizard of the saurian race, responded, sweeping into an elegant bow.

"I don't doubt that you've already received a message from I'haach about why we're here."

"No, actually, I haven't," said Ressa, his contented expression taking a somewhat confused turn.

"I beg you pardon?" Dauhieh asked, both vocally to Ressa and with her mind to I'haach. _Don't you usually cover that?_

_Meh, usually, _I'haach's voice responded, _but I can't let you become complacent, now can I? It's not like I'm always going to be here._

_You say that as though you're my senior, _Dauhieh responded reproachfully.

_Well, I wasn't going to say it, but seeing as you brought it up, I have to say that I'm rather disappointed with the maturity level you display…_

_I'll show _you _maturity! _Dauhieh hissed back down the end of her mental connection, only to find that I'haach had already closed it.

She sighed, then went back to her conversation with Ressa. "I'm sorry, Ress. The kitten wanted to teach me a lesson."

"Understood," Ressa responded, that look of mischief back in his eyes. "But tell me, what is your problem, and why isn't the, um," he cleared his throat, "kitten, going to be coming with us today?"

"I'haach has some issues of his own to work out in New York," Dauhieh informed him as they started walking towards the large mountain on the horizon. "We, on the other hand, found a tiny and pertinent ripple on one of our world gate strings."

"Meaning a small problem," Ressa said. "Why does this concern my people and me?"

"Because the ripple was malicious in nature, and also would have taken an extreme amount of skill to create it. As of yet, we don't know to what purpose this ripple is for."

"So you've come here to…"

"We've come here," interrupted a frustrated Sihm, "to go to the source of this ripple to find out what's going on and why, and, if we ever get to work through all this nonsense, we also plan to deal with said problem."

Dauhieh and Zach sighed at the same time. "That would be the main explanation of why we're here," Zach stated. "We would've used the information from the gate itself, but unfortunately the ripple was far too small."

"Understood," Ressa said. "Come, let me guide you to the gating complex."

They were now near the cave-like entrance to the mountain. They entered it single-file, with Ressa leading. The moment they entered this passage, there was complete darkness, even to their superior eye-sight. Everything was silent but for the rushing of water which had irrigated the cave countless aeons ago.

"You're really annoyed at him," Zach whispered up to her as they walked, "aren't you?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, mainly because you never call him 'kitten', unless of course he gets you mad."

Dauhieh's whiskers went forward slightly. "It's difficult taking orders from someone who's not even a quarter of your age."

"Tell me about it," Zach muttered, then muttered a word in the Speech. Suddenly, a light winked into existence on the tip of his tail.

Dauhieh's whiskers went forward a bit farther, and then she thought a word in the Speech. Her light appeared, and Sihm and Ressa's quickly followed suit.

But for small amounts of scattered conversation every now and again, there was little speaking as they marched onwards from the entrance. For the most part, the entire mountain was empty of any creatures. Ever since the New York Grand Central team had cleared out the Lone Power from the saurian race, said race had chosen on the whole to move to the sunlight. Now the mountain was deserted aside from the occasional gating team that came down to check on something at the source. Such expeditions had become much more common with the new agreeableness of the saurians, seeing as teams didn't have to fight their way to and back through miles of caverns filled with blood-thirsty dinosaurs.

"The section you have asked for isn't directly available from the normal paths. Fortunately, our wizards have managed to alter the kernel and the gates to allow for permanent world gates to such inaccessible regions," Ressa explained. "The gate to your branch is just around this corner."

As they rounded the corner, the gate came into view. It glowed strangely in the darkness, unnatural and hovering there. There was a weird greenness to it and an unsettling way how the strings seemed to just die after a short distance.

"That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen," Sihm said blatantly, and Dauhieh and Zach could only agree with her.

"Well, it works," Ressa defended. He approached it and stuck a long, delicate claw into the strings. Instantly it opened. "Not to mention," he added, "it's fast. After you, my cousins."

Sihm approached the gate and jumped through without a word, and Zach quickly followed. Dauhieh, however, lingered a moment.

"I must agree, it's a genius idea," she said, genuinely interested. "Would you mind showing me how it works?"

"Of course," Ressa said. "There's nothing I enjoy more than commiserating with a fellow technician."

"Well, it's interesting. I mean, how would you summon and isolate that much power?"

"It's not easy, believe me," Ressa said. "The strings are much more delicate than a standard gate, so anything more than a graceful touch could totally obliterate them and whoever was touching it."

"Definitely, it would also be interesting to figure out–"

A scream ripped the air, followed quickly by a growl of outraged surprise. Dauhieh rounded on the gate.

"Sihm?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Dauhieh leaped through the gate, followed quickly by Ressa. Dauhieh was breathless at the scene before her for a moment, before a massive claw slashed at her gut, and she let loose one scream down her blocked off mental connection with I'haach.


	5. Chapter 5

Life could be difficult. Actually, quite often, it was more a thorn sticking into the side of everything one did, hindering movement, thought and happiness. But unfortunately, it was the one thing which the wizards of the world were protecting. Nonetheless, the wizards, and everyone else in the world but for One malevolent Power, accepted that things would be much more boring without life.

Rhiow, leader of the New York Grand Central Station Gating Team, knew this first hand. The gates had been going more or less insane ever since she and Urruah had come back from their "leave" during the previous incident. During that time, the few dozen non-latent feline wizards, including Arhu and Siffhah, had simply worked on keeping the Rome gates working with their limited combined experience. Thus, all over the planet (aside from Rome, of course) the gates were going mad, and there were very few spare moments in the day.

She jumped the meter long expanse between the corner of her _ehif_'s apartment building and the parapet several feet below. She continued on downwards, constantly jumping from one flat space to the next in a generally downwards direction. She had already gone through the meditation that day, so when she reached the last stop before the ground where she usually recited it she just continued on. There was too much to do on her second day back to waste any time.

Quietly, she whispered to the air between her and the ground, reminding it of how wonderful it was back when it was solid, not having to move all the time. Then, she gave it the means to become like that again, and it obeyed. Carefully, she stepped out onto the air and began making her way down her invisible staircase, sidled in case any _ehifs _were to see her.

Reaching the floor of the back alley, she glanced around cautiously. Nothing there, except… What was that smell?

"I am on errantry, and I greet you cousin."

Rhiow turned to her left to see a young male cat, still a kitten really, emerging from behind a dumpster. His fur was a greyish tabby design, and he had a nasty scar ranging from the base of his left ear down to just above his eye.

"Dai, I'haach," she responded. "You're here on business, I presume?"

"What, don't you think I'd love to come here for a nice vacation some time?"

Rhiow's whiskers went forward slightly. "You, take time off. I doubt it."

I'haach returned her smirk, and then they fell into step beside each other. "Unfortunately, as you've guessed, it is business. Personal business, but business nonetheless."

"Really. And how could my team and myself help you with this business?"

"In all truth, you can't," I'haach said bluntly. "However, I believe you've had relations with one who could. An _ehif _wizard, Dairine, I think. The one with that sentient cybernetic manual."

"Ah," she said. "Well, I'm sure she'll be only too pleased to help you, however she, and the rest of her family, don't tend to get up this early. For that matter, neither do I, but with things as they are…"

"Understood," I'haach responded. "Well, if we've got time to kill, I wouldn't mind helping the four of you with your gates. I assume it is still four, and that Arhu and Siffhah haven't…"

"No, they're both still with us," Rhiow informed him. "They're planning on going to the London gates in a day or so, though."

"Good, I wouldn't want to have missed the little rascals."

" 'Little rascals'? Aren't you a bit young to be calling them that?"

"Physically speaking, yes," I'haach conceded. "Oh, by the way, your fourteen track gate is really acting up. I could even see it as I walked by."

"We know," Rhiow hissed in annoyance. "The Whisperer's been sending a lot of traffic our way lately too, what with the repairs to Rirath B and everyone needing to get out there."

"Ah, well, things could always be worse," I'haach replied. "You could have dinosaurs again."

"Not if I have anything to say about it. That was one of the most exhausting weeks of my life, and I'd rather not repeat it."

"Understood."

"Why do you need her, anyways?"

"Here, check out this word." I'haach wrote the now-familiar symbol with his tail again, instructing it to follow him.

"Interesting… I've never seen anything like it. I guess you need her to identify it for you?"

"Yes. Hey, by the way, does that guy in Grand Central still have some of that special quality pastrami stuff?"

"Why?"

"Because if I don't return with enough for my whole team, I'll be clawed to pieces."

"Well, we'll see what we can do."

Urruah, Arhu and Siffhah were all already at the station when Rhiow and I'haach arrived. Urruah was half in and half out of an open gate, passing strings out occasionally to Arhu or Siffhah. It looked almost as though they were pulling everything out of the gate and arranging it on the floor.

"Hunt's luck," Rhiow said as the two of them approached.

"Luck, Rhi," Urruah replied, his voice sounding strained. "Do you mind grabbing these strings for me? I think these two are running out of claws."

Urruah's front half emerged, dishevelled and in need of a wash. There was no doubting that he was getting annoyed. His claws were completely covered with strings, and there were two or three single thin strands in his teeth.

"Oh, hello, I'haach," Urruah said, passing most of the strings to Rhiow. "You didn't pick the best day to come. Normally I'd like to bring you down to get some food at the court back there, but as you can see I've got some more delicate things in my teeth today."

"No problem," I'haach replied, taking a few of the strings himself.

"So, how's Dauhieh doing?" he asked.

"Well, her, Zach and Sihm are off in the Old Downside for a short while to figure out some problems with our gates. I don't think it's as big as what you're dealing with right now, though."

"You've got that right," Siffhah replied for him, seeing as Urruah was back in the matrix again. "The entire lotus of this gate has scattered. Right now we're going in and retrieving every separate string in the central matrix, and then we'll have to put it back together."

"It doesn't help that a train's coming through here in five minutes," Arhu muttered.

"How do you know that?" Siffhah asked.

"I Saw it."

"Annoying little…"

"Five minutes you said?" Urruah interrupted.

"Almost positively five."

"Good, then we have enough time to stop it," Rhiow said. "I'haach, would you mind?"

"Not at all," I'haach said, stepping lightly down onto the tracks.

"Just try to delay it temporarily, we should only need another fifteen minutes or so."

"I'm on the job."

It took them over an hour before they managed to get the gate into a state that wouldn't explode and bring all of Manhattan with them should anyone touch it. Afterwards, all of them were exhausted, frustrated, and feeling a good deal of pain from the touch of hyperstrings.

Thus, after having grabbed a few slices of pastrami and shoving them in a subspace pocket, I'haach and Rhiow made their ways quickly to the home of Nita and Dairine Callahan. The two decided to walk, seeing as they were tired enough as it was.

When Nita opened the door, she was surprised to see that nobody was there. "Er, hello?"

"Hey, down here," came a voice.

She looked down to see the familiar black form of Rhiow, with a second cat whose fur was grey.

"Dai, Rhiow. Who's this?"

"I'haach," he introduced himself. "I am on errantry, and I greet you."

"Well met on the errand," Nita responded, using the formal response. "You look pretty young. Are you the newest member on the gating team?"

I'haach's whiskers went forward, a sure sign Nita had learned that the cat was amused. "Not likely. I lead the gating team for the Zurich Tramway."

"Oh, I'm sorry," responded Nita, going red from embarrassment. "You're so young, that I just assumed that… that…"

"That's alright," I'haach said. "I'm used to it."

"So, is there any specific reason that you're at my house?"

"Yes, actually," Rhiow answered for him. "We need to speak with your sister, Dairine."

Nita rolled her eyes, a sure sign I'haach had learned that the human was annoyed from repetition. "What did she do? Try to open your gate into a red giant or something?"

"Not quite, though I would probably come with some backup if it were something like that," I'haach told her. "I need her and her super computer."

"Oh, of course. She and Spot'll be thrilled to prove their amazing skill again."

I'haach and Rhiow stepped through the door and followed Nita upstairs to a closed door. From behind said door came the noise of some sort of strange screeching noise, a cross between a chicken being stepped on and nails on a chalk board. Overall, pretty painful.

"Sweet Iau, what _is_ that _noise_?" Rhiow asked, wincing.

"Some music she got from a foreign wizard we were hosting on exchange." Nita shook her head. "Apparently the music caught on."

Nita banged on the door. After a couple of seconds, she banged again. After another minute, Nita tried the door, only to find it locked. She looked to I'haach and Rhiow apologetically, then said, "I'll be back in a minute."

There was a loud popping noise, followed by Nita's disappearance and a rush of wind. Given a moment, there was a banging noise quite different from those of a transit which came from inside the room. The 'music' went off, and there was a shout or two.

Finally, the door opened, and out walked Dairine, with her supercomputer Spot trailing behind her.

"Sorry about that, I guess I didn't hear you."

"Apparently," I'haach said, smirking.

"I understand that you need Spot to do a search for something."

"Yes, it's right here," I'haach said, writing up the symbol a third time. It hung there, with the sisters gazing at it.

"I've—"

"Never seen anything like it, I know," I'haach muttered, "nobody has."

"No," Nita said. "I've seen this symbol before, I just can't remember where…"

"Well, we're about to find out," Dairine said. "Spot, get your search function on for all Speech symbols on a visual basis." Spot jumped up and let out a beep. His screen opened up and showed a perfect image of the symbol. There was a strange whirring noise, and then the symbol began spinning slowly on the screen as images of other words in the speech flashed by quickly, hundreds per second.

"How long should it take?" I'haach asked.

"Roughly two hours, eighteen minutes," Spot piped up, and was silent again.

There was silence. "Well, I don't know about you," Nita said, "but I'm hungry. Would you two like to— I'haach?"

The young cat had suddenly shuddered, and was now cringing and shaking. This, however, was the least dramatic feature. The thing which had made Nita stop was the look in his eyes; shock, horror, fear.

"I'haach, are you alright?" Dairine asked, concern evident in her eyes.

He remained silent.

"I'haach." Rhiow crouched down in front of him, gazing straight into his eyes. "Look at me. What's wrong?"

"I need a gate."

"What?"

"_I need a gate!_" I'haach yowled in anger.

"Fine, fine, you can use the track two gate, but what—"

But I'haach was already gone. He disappeared in a loud pop, and reappeared a moment later in Grand Central Station. He didn't care that people had heard, nor that he had just wasted some of his precious little remaining power. Without hesitation he plunged his claws into the world gate. Much to his own satisfaction, the gates seemed to feel his desperation, and quickly opened to the Old Downside. I'haach jumped through, landing on the other side as a grey tiger, made all the fiercer by the look in his eyes and Dauhieh's mental scream echoing in his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

As I'haach ran, all out through the dark passages of the massive mountain, he dove deep into his own subconscious and began reorganizing his readied spells so that they included his most powerful shields and barriers. He didn't dare use any teleportation spells, even though they might solve the problem faster than getting into actual conflict. Any kind of movement spell was a bad idea in the Old Downside, as things changed shape and element almost constantly. No, once he got to his team, he'd need to fight his way back out with them.

_And what if they're already gone? What if you're too late? _a dark voice in his head asked. I'haach knew whose voice that was.

"Sa'raah," he said straight out, breathing heavily as he ran. "You won't stop me."

_We'll see._

He pelted along, giving no care to tripping, slipping, or hurting himself as he went. He just hoped that by the time he got there, he'd still have enough energy to cast a spell.

It was at just that moment that he got to the still open gate. With a quick glance, he surveyed the situation. Dauhieh and Zach had dragged themselves out of the gate. Zach was up, and standing over Dauhieh, apparently deep in casting a spell. As I'haach approached, he finished, and a large gash on Dauhieh's left flank began sealing up. He looked up at I'haach's approach.

"I'haach! How did you…"

"Dauhieh called me. I got here as fast as I could. Where's Sihm?"

"She's still in there," Zach gasped. "I'haach, don't go in there, please. You can't do anything…"

"I will because I must," I'haach told him, and then took a running jump through the gate.

Landing on the other side, I'haach saw the full horror of what they faced. Before him, the passage was rather narrow and about eight metres long. It was just high enough so that I'haach could stand straight. Before him, he could see that Ressa was standing straight over Sihm's form. I'haach couldn't see whether not she was endured, or just preparing a spell, or was exhausted from casting several spells already. Beyond Ressa, I'haach could see what had caused them their problems.

Bugs. Giant, monstrous, powerful bugs. They had thick protective shells, guarding their soft underbellies. However, even underneath them, with a direct shot for their stomach, they were well protected by several sets of giant claw ended mandibles. They were the most horrible thing I'haach felt he had ever seen in this life or any other in memory. I'haach was afraid, and he would have openly admitted it to anyone. He would rather do anything other than take another step closer to them.

And the hell-spawned creatures were attacking a member of his team.

I'haach, a roar ripping free from his throat, launched himself forward.

"Ressa, get Sihm and get out of here; I'll cover your exit."

Having said those words, I'haach ran out in front of the lizard and yowled the last syllable of a spell he had been preparing. Instantly, to those who could see words in the speech, there was a soft glow all around him. The large bug which stood before him stopped for a moment, and regarded him curiously.

"Come on…"

The beast came, and brought his claws down on I'haach's impermeable shield…

…and they went right through the extremely powerful shield which I'haach had erected. I'haach was so surprised that he forgot to dodge, and so one of the claws came down and slashed right through the powerful muscles in his right shoulder.

I'haach doubled over in agony, whimpering as he looked over at the horrible slash. _That was my most powerful shield! _he thought, but didn't let it stop him. He was too busy dodging another slash. As he jumped to the side, landing heavily on his shoulder, he squealed again. Working mainly on instinct more than actual thought, he called up another shield, equally powerful, but different in its properties. The other one made a physical barrier, this one made a strong force which made the blow fall one foot to the side of it's original target.

This time, as the claw came down, I'haach prepared to dodge at the same time as he was preparing his current spell. The claw hit his shield…

…and kept on coming. I'haach leapt to the side, wincing as more blood spurted from the wound in his shoulder. He couldn't keep this up.

"I'haach!"

He turned slightly, and saw Ressa waiting on the other side of the gate.

"Get through, quickly!"

I'haach needed no more bidding. He rushed for the gate all out, limping on his right leg as he went. He just hoped that they weren't faster than him, otherwise he was finished for sure. He cast a quick glance behind him, just to make sure. Much to his dismay, he saw that his original foe was directly behind him, preparing to slash.

_I can't get out of the way! _he thought, panicked. A quick look at the situation, however, changed his opinion. _I don't have to._

Ressa called out his name as he saw the claw coming upwards and to the left, aimed directly at I'haach's face. It was for certain that the evil thing would tear I'haach apart, and…

I'haach jumped back, closer to the creature. A more dangerous position, to be sure, but one which would keep the claw from removing his face. And also one in which the arm would hit him.

I'haach felt the incredible strength and power in the blow. It was so hard, and so well placed, that it sent him flying backwards, directly towards the gate. He saw Ressa hurriedly closing the gate as he flew through it, and then his head smacked against the stone of the floor, and all went dark.

"I'haach."

Someone was licking his ear. It's quite a nice sensation, having someone lick your ear just after you've been slashed and smashed by a giant bug, and given a crash course in flying. In truth, I'haach had figured as he was falling that he would die, but that didn't matter, seeing as his team would have survived. But surviving, hey, that was okay too.

"I'haach," the voice said again, more insistently. "I'haach, I know that you're awake you little monster, so stop pretending and get up."

I'haach groaned even as his whiskers went forward. "That's no way to talk to your team leader."

He opened his eyes and looked around. Dauhieh was standing over him, licking his ear. Well, that wasn't usual. He must have really gotten hurt. Even when he'd gotten slashed on his forehead just above his eye, she hadn't shown any affection.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Oh, well," she said, "we walked in there, and there were a bunch of giant insects attacking Sihm and Zach, so me and Ressa attacked, and I got beaten up a bit, and Zach got me out, and then you showed up, and then Ressa dragged Sihm out, and then you went flying by, and then I was up, and then me and Zach dragged you and Sihm here."

I'haach blinked. "Well, thanks for the short version. Wait, you said Sihm, too?"

"Er, yes," she said, suddenly becoming very distracted.

"What happened to her?"

"Well, she was almost dead when we got her out of the gate, and, well, by the time she got here, she wasn't breathing, so…"

Instantly, I'haach was up on his feet. "Where is she?"

"Don't worry, she's alright. Jakub is taking good care of her."

"Jakub?"

"Jakub," Jakub answered, walking in from the other room.

I'haach, quickly turning to Jakub and inclining his head, said quietly, "Advisory."

"I'haach," Jakub said, shaking his head. "I've told you not to be so formal."

"I'm sorry, Jakub," I'haach said. "My first advisory was all about the special titles and respect. I haven't really gotten out of the habit."

"That's alright, I guess," Jakub said. "But if you could work on…"

"Er, sorry to interrupt," I'haach said quietly, "but right now I'm slightly more concerned with the status of my young partner than I am with the way we speak to each other."

"Oh, right," Jakub said, blushing slightly. "Well, her body's almost completely healed up, and I couldn't detect any mental damage. However, she just underwent a massive amount of physical stress from both the injuries and the healing of them."

I'haach waited. "…meaning?"

"Meaning that she'll be out of commission for at least two days."

"That's, that's…" I'haach took a deep breath. "That's amazing. Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome," she said, leaning forward on his hands. He winced, and quickly sat back up.

"Are you alright?" I'haach asked, alarmed.

"Kitten, you're forgetting the rules of healing," Zach said, jumping up onto the table. "When enough blood is lost from the victim, the blood of the healer is needed as physical materials." He turned to look at Jakub, and smirked, "Though really, I would have thought that you'd gotten used to the pain by now."

"I'm used to giving myself a little cut from a magical, heated knife so that it doesn't hurt. This time, I was less prepared, and my blades were a bit more crude."

"Hey," Zach said, sounding slightly insulted. "A cat's claws are not crude."

Dauhieh gave I'haach a look. "It's not like Zach to pass up an opportunity to slash an Advisory."

"Apparently so," I'haach muttered, noticing for the first time the bandage wrapped tightly around Jakub's arm.

"So," Jakub said, walking over to a large chair in the corner and plopping himself down. "Let's see what you guys are up against here."

"Please," I'haach muttered. "Any kind of help would be well appreciated right now."

"Well, Zach and Dauhieh have informed me of what happened to them today. I, personally, know nothing of these creatures. However, there was a team of Earth wizards who had a nasty run-in with them while we were battling the darkness. I believe the best member to speak to would be a young man named Ronan. He lives in Ireland."

"Thank you," I'haach said. "Anything else?"

"Well, as a point of curiosity, tell me about this strange letter in your name you went hunting for today."

I'haach rolled his eyes. "There's not much to tell. Nobody has ever seen it before, aside from Nita Callahan in New York, and she can barely remember the figure itself. I've got Dairine Callahan's wizard's manual doing a search for it, which should take about three… Wait a minute, what time is it?"

Jakub checked his watch. "I've got four-thirty AM, Kiev time."

"So that's nine-thirty in New York…" I'haach muttered. "She should have finished her search by now." With that, he jumped down from the table he was seated on, landing on the ground not quite as lightly as he normally would. After wincing, he said, "Thank you, Jakub, for your help. Unfortunately, I must go to New York now and collect some information, so…"

"Oh no you don't," Dauhieh interrupted him. "I don't care if you're my team leader; you just underwent a massive magical healing, and you had hardly any energy left when you got there and started fighting the bugs. You're not going tonight."

"What are you talking about?" I'haach asked, fighting to keep a conveniently timed yawn down.

"She's right, I'haach," Jakub told him. "As your Advisory and healer, I forbid you to use magic until you've rested for a while."

"Nonsense," I'haach said, or tried to, as the yawn finally fought its way out of his throat.

"This is pathetic," Zach said, rolling his eyes. "Kitten, you're not doing magic. If we have to, we'll restrain you physically. Now, just let me and Dauhieh teleport you home, and then we'll see about this figure in the morning."

"Fine, but only because you two are offering me a free ride."

"Whatever will protect your pride, kitten. Thanks for the help, Jakub."

"Anytime, and I'll just keep Sihm here until she's gotten her energy back. Zach, Dauhieh, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. I'haach, good luck on your search."

I'haach just sat down as Dauhieh summoned up her spell weave for teleportation to the butcher's shop on Banhofstrasse. Zach jumped into the circle, and the two of them began reciting the words to the air. The pressure leaned in around them, and with a bang, they were just outside the small establishment.

"I guess I'll meet you two tomorrow," Zach said. "The usual place?"

"The usual time," I'haach replied evenly.

"Are you kidding? After what we just went through, we're supposed to be up in three hours?"

I'haach hissed slightly in annoyance. "You're right, of course. I'm sorry, I guess I'm more tired than I thought. You guys can sleep as long as you want, but I'll probably be gone when you're up. Dauhieh, you can message me when you're both ready."

"Why, what are we going to do?"

"Meet this ehif, Ronan, and find out as much as we can. After that, we can run on any leads we can find."

"Alright," Zach said, and then a huge yawn gripped him. "Goodnight, then."

"'night, Zach," Dauhieh said, and then both she and I'haach stepped through the door.

They quietly made their way up the stairs, and into the tiny bedroom. Both Mano and Chraih were asleep, Chraih beneath the blankets, and Mano curled up at his feet.

"He doesn't really look so big and strong when he's asleep, does he?"

"Nope. That's the only reason I managed to stay here for so long before you turned up."

I'haach's whiskers went forward the tiniest bit. "I can have that effect on people."

"Yeah, we've all noticed," she said. Curling up next to Mano's still form, she gave I'haach a strangely kind and judgemental look. "Don't leave on us. I know that I originally said that you could stay here until you managed to find a den of your own, but I really don't want you to go now."

"I'll try," I'haach promised. "Goodnight, Dauhieh."

"Goodnight."

I'haach curled up on the bed, next to Dauhieh. He allowed his breathing to slow, and he felt the warmth of the three bodies around him. As the calm of sleep began to overcome him, he thought to himself, _No, I won't leave. I won't disappear, and I won't… I-I won't… I'll grow old this time. I'll linger. I'll let myself feel the constant buzz of youth die away. _It would seem like a horribly depressing image to some, but for him, it was the greatest luxury he could dream of.

With his whiskers forward, he drifted off into sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Dauhieh woke on her own. She was totally relaxed from the extra – how long? – two hours of sleep she'd had. She slowly pulled herself up and over to the edge of the bed, where she jumped down to the floor and quickly ran down the nearby stairs. On the way she felt for I'haach in her head. _Hello?_

_Good morning, Dauhieh, _I'haach sounded totally awake, yet at the same time very reserved. _It's nice to know that you're still actually living._

_You too, _Dauhieh said to him. _Do we know how Sihm's doing?_

_Jakub said that she's awake, _I'haach told her, _and complaining about having to rest._

_That sounds like somebody I know…_

_And what's that supposed to mean?_

_Oh, nothing, _Dauhieh said. _Did you get your results from Dairine?_

_Yes. _That same bitter annoyance.

_And…?_

_Between her, Spot, and an entire _species_ of computer wizards, nothing. Nita still thinks that she knows what it is, though._

_Annoying?_

_You have absolutely no idea. _She felt him fuming on his end, so she decided to change the subject.

_Well, how about if you meet Zach and I at the gates, and we'll head over to Ireland to meet Ronan?_

She felt him sigh. _Alright. I think I'm going to have to keep getting up early so that I can investigate this. I'll see you at the gates._

_Hunt's luck._

_Thanks. I need some._

With that, they broke off their bond, and Dauhieh got down to the main floor. Chraih was waiting for her.

"Hey, puss," he said. "I know what you want."

He reached into the counter, and pulled out a small slice of some sort of meat. Dauhieh had no idea what it was, but she sure liked the smell of it.

"I just got this in from Munich. So, what do you think? Your friend over there sure liked it."

Dauhieh took the offered piece of meat, and as she took a bite, she actually had to stop for a moment, as the tantalizing salty taste invaded her mouth.

"Oh, oh that's _good,_" she said, purring. "What _is _that?"

Almost as though he'd heard her thoughts, he laughed heartily, saying, "Yep, that's some nice pork. And I just so happen to be the only butcher supplying it in the city, and even the country!"

"And aren't I glad about it…"

"Glad about what?" Mano asked as he walked up. Seeing her meal, he smirked, saying, "Ah, that. Yes, that is _very _good reason to be glad."

Dauhieh put her whiskers forward to him, and then asked, while taking another large bite of the pork, "Did you see I'haach this morning?"

"If you can count glancing him from the corner of my eye seeing, yeah, I'd say so." The big cat sighed and shook his head. "I swear that that cat works too much. Even you've never worked as much or as often as him."

"Yeah, he's weird like that," she said, cramming the last piece in her mouth. "Even amongst wizards, he's addicted to his work. Ah well, I should probably be meeting up with him. I'll see you later."

"Alright."

I'haach stepped through the world gate to the smell of a cool and crisp Irish day. It was late September, and there was a slight breeze rushing through the trees on either side of the gate. Gazing around the area, he saw that the gate opened out onto a lane of some sort, a place nowhere near as popular or dense as his own rail station. He also noted that his partners weren't there yet.

_You can't blame them,_ he thought. _They needed rest after yesterday…_

_And didn't _I_? And don't I every night, every day, every _second_? I put in twice as much effort as any wizard. Why don't I get breaks?_

_Because I choose to work like this, and it works for me. If I've got any complaints, I can just take them up with Them on the tenth life._

_Assuming I ever get to the tenth life…_

I'haach shook his head rigorously. What was that all about? He never felt any unhappiness about his work, in fact, it seemed like the only thing which kept him going day to day, life to life. _Maybe that's why I'm bitter about it…_

He was interrupted from his considerations by a rip opening up in space next to him. Through it, stepped Zach, quickly followed by Dauhieh.

"Hunt's luck, kitten."

"Hunt's luck, Zach. So, shall we get going?"

"There's no time like the present," Dauhieh said, and they started off towards the home of Ronan.

It didn't take them much time to get there. Jakub had sent directions to them during the night, so they knew exactly where they were going. At first, it was very fast, seeing as there was no traffic and the pavement was of much better quality than the beaten-up stuff of down town Zurich. The town as well was quite easy to get through, and seeing as they didn't even have to go into the heavily traveled area, they never even had to sidle. So it was that an hour later they were in front of a plain old house.

"So, what do we do now?" Zach asked. "Does this guy even know that we're coming?"

"To tell the truth, it never crossed my mind."

"So we're just going to walk in and meet this ehif, and hope he's not only in, but in the mood to talk with us?"

"That's the plan."

"Let's do it, then."

They were about to walk up to the door, when it opened. Surprised, the trio jumped back a step, watching the ehif emerge. He was tall, dark, and (A/N: yeah, I'm going to say it!) mysterious. That was the only way he could be described. As he closed the door and turned around, he only seemed slightly surprised to find three cats standing on his doorstep.

"Uh, hello."

"We are on errantry, and we greet you."

"Good to know," Ronan said. "You are well met on the errand."

There was an awkward silence. At length, Ronan asked. "So, uh, might I ask what you guys are doing here?"

"Oh, sorry," I'haach said. "My name is I'haach, captain of the Zurich gating team. These are my partners Dauhieh, technician, and Zach, power source."

"A pleasure," Ronan said. "I am Ronan, wizard."

"Oh yes, that we already know. We came here seeking some information."

"What kind of information?"

"Well, our area's advisory wizard has told us about a certain expedition you were recently on. It involved some sort of giant insects…"

"Oh, those. Why do you need to know about them?"

"Well," Zach said flatly, "we may have found some, and they don't seem to be taking kindly to us."

"Ah," Ronan said, slightly stunned. "They've got a knack for that. Come on, let's sit down, and I'll tell you what you need to know."

They took a seat under a tree in the wizard's front yard. Once there, Ronan asked, "So what exactly do you need to know?"

"Well," Dauhieh said, "we kind of need to get through a passage more or less filled with them. What did it take you and your partners last time to get through?"

"Well," Ronan said, and seemed to think about it for a moment, "one normal human being with an over-powered blasting weapon, seven wizards, two soon-to-be Powers, the Champion, and one heck of a lot of high powered attack spells."

Silence pursued. "Oh," I'haach said at long last. "Do you know of any way that we could get past them?"

"No," Ronan told them, "unless you've got one of their carcases and a wizard who's very experienced in making disguises. That's how we got past. Invisibility, four different styles of invisibility at that, didn't fool them."

Silence again. Finally, Dauhieh simply asked, "Any suggestions?"

"My suggestion would simply be this: if you can avoid fighting them, at any costs, take it, because the costs of fighting them are much higher."

"Hey, wait a minute," Zach said suddenly, "what did you mean by the Champion? I've heard of your little voyage, and I understand that two species' choices were made, and that the two representatives were with you, but I never heard of the Champion making a specific appearance."

"Oh, yeah, that," Ronan said, rolling his eyes in an annoyed fashion. "I was the Champion."

"_The _Champion?" Zach asked, stunned.

"Yeah, _the _Champion."

"That's amazing! I mean, how does it feel, wielding that much power, housing that great spirit, being the—"

"Wait," Dauhieh interrupted. "You said _was_. You aren't any more?"

"Nope," Ronan said. "I had a nasty run-in with the Spear of Light, and I would have died, if it hadn't been for the fact that my fellows managed to get me back here to a healer fast."

"Whoa," I'haach said, interested now, "I've heard that most hosts don't survive it when the champion leaves them."

"Most don't," Ronan said. "I got lucky. All I've got is a nice scar on my chest. From everything that I've researched, housing that much power takes a serious toll on your body and mind. The mental toll usually manages to doll itself out while the Champion is still with you, but the physical? The Champion ever so nicely holds that off until He's gone." Ronan stood up abruptly. "Well, if there's nothing else that you need, then just ask. If not, I as well am on errantry, and should get going."

"Of course," I'haach said. He bent one knee, dipping into a slight bow. "Thank you for your time and expertise."

"No problem," Ronan said. "It was nice meeting the three of you."

With that, he walked away.

The three of them began making their way slowly back to the gates. They were all silent, each mulling over possibilities and problems in their minds. It wasn't until they were actually at the gates that they spoke.

"Well, while interesting, that didn't help," Zach muttered finally.

"Not in the slightest," Dauhieh said. "So right now, as I see it, we're out of leads, out of possibilities, out of options other than fight through or give up." She turned to I'haach. "I hate giving up."

"Then we won't."

"Well what else are we going to do?" Zach asked, clearly frustrated.

"I came up with a new idea while I was in New York this morning."

"And what would that be?" Dauhieh asked.

"We'll see."

"Oh, don't be a hhhhheh jerk," Zach said. "If you've got a plan, just come out and say it."

"But I have."

"What do you mean by that?" Dauhieh asked as she watched him reweaving the hyperstrings.

"We'll _See_."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: It's very difficult to change from past to present tense while writing, so don't blame me for any slip ups.

They stepped out on the other side of the world-gates to the hustle and bustle of the New York subway station. All around them were the sounds and smells of anxiety, annoyance, and confusion. However, there was one noise which only the ears of a cat or a wizard would be able to hear which drew their attention much more than the others.

"By the Tom't balls, hold that thing _down_!"

Dauhieh and Zach stared over at I'haach as Urruah's cursing continued. "They're having some troubles with the Track 2 gate."

"Apparently," Zach muttered.

When they reached the New York team, the reason for Urruah's yowlings was evident. The gate looked more like some sort of tentacled monster than an actual world-gate. Its hyperstrings were flailing about, striking at Rhiow, Urruah and Arhu as they tried uselessly to reach its core. Siffhah was crouched down in a spell casting position. The three wizards noticed that all the ehif seemed to be avoiding the area, and assumed that that was the spell's doing.

Rhiow let out a sudden yowl of triumph as she managed to dodge past the last hyperstring and reach the glowing nexus at its core. She sunk all of her claws into the burning light, and pulled out a few of the strings. The other hyperstrings suddenly stopped moving, dropping down limply to the ground.

I'haach, Dauhieh and Zach stepped into the area of the incident as Siffhah lowered her spell. Rhiow, who was still holding the nexus, breathed deeply and haggardly, her chest heaving. Siffhah staggered over to stand beside Arhu, who had stopped moving and was simply lying down and washing himself. Urruah stood beside his leader, conversing with her in low voices.

"Well," I'haach said, trying to sound bright, "I see you tried to get your gate working again."

"Oh, please don't make any jokes," Siffhah groaned. "I've been holding that spell for three hours while they've been fighting that thing, and it's not easy."

"Three _hours_?" Zach asked, his tail going straight up and his eyes widening.

"Yeah, three hours," Arhu muttered. "Trust me, you never want to fight a world gate. If you think that those hyperstrings hurt while you're working them, they're worse when they're whipping you across the face every few seconds."

"What did you do?" Dauhieh asked, staring at one of the limp hyperstrings.

"Well," Urruah said, walking over, "at first, we were thinking of just walking in here, doing some diagnostics, and then continue on from there. However, thislittle abomination decided that it didn't like us any more, and attacked."

"Sounds like fun," she said, surveying the scene. "What are you going to do now?"

"Well, my original thought was to gut the gate and then rip it to pieces, but Rhiow disagreed. Instead, we are going to go to the Old Downside to take it offline from the source until we figure out what its problem is."

"Well, would you mind if we helped out?" I'haach asked. "We were actually coming here to see whether or not we could borrow Arhu and possibly Siffhah to go down there with us."

"We were?" Zach asked.

"Yes, we were."

"Well," Rhiow called over, "I have no arguments so long as someone takes my place over here!"

I'haach looked over at Zach pleadingly. "Oh fine," Zach said, "I don't fancy a trip to the Downside anyways, even if it is cleaned out now."

Zach walked over to where Rhiow was arranging her strings. As the transfer was taking place, Arhu and Siffhah walked over to I'haach. Arhu asked, curiously, "Why exactly do you need me and Siffhah?"

I'haach related to them their last experience with the guarded gate, including its disastrous results. "So, I was thinking that maybe the two of you could See through that passage."

"Oh, for sure," Arhu assured him. "While Rhiow, Urruah and Dauhieh work on our gate, we'll do yours for you. It should be simple enough."

"I hope so," I'haach confided. "I'm actually afraid of going back there without the help of a Power at least."

"Well," Siffhah said, bumping her head against Arhu's, "while many _have _compared the two of us to a Power before, the compliment is still appreciated."

I'haach rolled his eyes at the young queen, totally used to her pretended audacity after their week working together in Rome.

"Okay," Rhiow said, walking over, "I'm ready. Let's get going."

The six cats parted ways soon after they had entered the massive mountain. I'haach, Arhu and Siffhah turned to the west, while Rhiow, Dauhieh and Urruah made their way deeper into the mountain's core, searching for the more important Grand Central Station branch of gates.

I'haach lead on from there, knowing exactly where they were going from his mad dash the previous day. It only took them about an hour to reach the site, and from there, he turned over the lead to Arhu.

"Alright, this is how it's going to have to work," he said as they stood next to the closed the gate. "I will be constructing and conducting the spell, seeing as I'm the only person here who can See. Siffhah, per usual, will be working as our power core, because she and I are so closely linked, and you're starting to get over your power surge, I'haach. Finally, you, I'haach, will be my key just in case the Lone Power has some special tricks in store for us; you were born and live in Zurich, so your identity will push us forward. Once we're in there, you'll have to do everything I tell you I'haach. Hey, this reminds me, you've never Seen before, have you, I'haach?"

"Well," I'haach said, "Not in this life, or in anything I can remember of my past lives."

"Well, it'll be an experience then. Are we ready?" Siffhah asked.

"We will be, just as soon as I'haach here fills a bit of information into this spell diagram for us," Arhu said, quickly padding a magic circle onto the ground.

I'haach inserted his personal information, along with the strange new symbol in his name, into the spell diagram, as well as the specifics of the gate they were hoping to reach and the passage which lead to it. As he finished, he looked up and asked, "Do we have to open the constructed gate for this to work?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Arhu said. "I realize that you don't want to, but we don't really have a choice…"

"That's alright," I'haach assured him, stepping over to the gate. He took a deep breath, and opened it.

He had to jump back as a claw scratched across the bit of the gate he had been accidentally sticking his nose through. Strangely, the claw didn't come out through the gate.

"Great," I'haach muttered. That was almost undeniable proof that the creatures had been sent there by the Lone Power.

"Well, this should be fun," Siffhah said, looking through the gate at the writhing insectoids. "Shall we get started?"

"Please," I'haach muttered, stepping onto his place in the diagram. Siffhah sunk her claws into the power grids, and Arhu took the final spot in the circle.

The tension built up around them, and the strange leaning-in of the universe to listen to a spell. I'haach suddenly remembered that Arhu read his spells in his mind, keeping them between him and the Powers.

Then everything got weird.

All of a sudden, nothing is happening as if it were then, it is happening _now. _I'haach, Arhu and Siffhah are in the passage leading to the gate, and it is completely deserted. The entire thing reminds I'haach eerily of what Zach described; complete silence, and then an attack.

They walk forward, cautiously. Arhu is in the lead, followed by Siffhah and I'haach in a 'V' formation.

"Everything seems to be going well," Arhu says, looking over at his two companions.

"We should still be careful," I'haach warns. "We don't know if this is a dormant trigger spell."

They move forward slightly faster now, casting around with eyes and magic. They are going along fine, until…

"Hey, what's this?" Arhu asks.

"It seems kind of like those barriers which were blocking us from saving the old ehif queen, remember?" Siffhah observes as she tries to push her paw through the solid air.

All of a sudden, I'haach smells something, and says on instinct, "We need to get out of here."

"What do you mean?"

"NOW!" he screams, and turns back.

The three start running towards the glowing space that is their exit from and entrance to the physical land. Part way down, Arhu and Siffhah smell it too, but they don't understand the significance.

"Motor oil?" Arhu asks.

"I just remembered it from yesterday. It's the smell that the insects give off when they— oof!"

I'haach has run straight into an invisible barrier, about two metres away from the exit. The smell of motor oil grows suddenly stronger, and the three turn around. Siffhah and Arhu gasp, but I'haach simply gazes onward with resolve in his eyes as the bugs cross through that barrier at the other end of the cave with an relentless look in their multi-faceted eyes.

"Quickly," I'haach says, "I'll hold them off, you two find a way through that barrier back there."

Not waiting to see whether they will obey him, I'haach runs forward, hoping to draw their attention away from his companions.

After yesterday, I'haach decides that he won't even bother with a shield this time around. As the first slash comes in at him, he throws himself flat down. The next bug in line sends a crushing blow down at him, and I'haach rolls out of the way. He comes back to his feet just in time to jump back from another hack.

Not wanting to give up any space, however, I'haach jumps back forward and is into the dance of the dodging. He jumps, weaves, rolls and dashes, always just a millimeter away from a blow. A slash goes by overhead, and I'haach jumps, already knowing that a low attack will follow. However, he wasn't expecting two claws to come at him at once, one high and one low. The high smashes into his side, slipping through his incorporeal skin and sinking to his heart.

As the bug touched him, I'haach's eyes fly open, and he screams, the scream of ultimate pain. Not physical pain, no, nothing that trivial. Pure mental agony is etched in every one of his characteristics. He flew sideways, smacking the stone walls.

Somehow he drags himself up, getting into position to dodge. However, his reflexes are much slower than before, and the first cut catches his tail as it passes. Again, that horrible scream, and instead of flying against the wall, he simply falls to the ground.

Hungrily, the three lead beasts form a semi-circle around him, and begin slashing at him repeatedly. His screams reach a climax, and his voice begins dying away.

I'haach opened his eyes. Siffhah, staring down at him, breathed a deep breath of relief. Arhu, however, had a strange look in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Siffhah asked, concern still in her voice.

There was a long moment before I'haach answered. "I'm fine."

It was the tone of his voice more than the words which tipped Arhu and Siffhah off. It was flat and dead, not at all like his normal animated voice.

"I'haach," Siffhah began, "are you sure you're alright? Please just tell us the truth; your entire team could suffer if you don't get some help."

"I said I'm fine," I'haach snapped. "Now are we going to lie here or can we get going back to the others?"

_I don't like this, _Siffhah told Arhu mentally as they began walking back. _He's never been that unkind or frustrated, even after that time we had to remove all of the Rome gates at once and they all went haywire. He was up all night that time, and he didn't even show it._

_Don't worry, _Arhu said back, his gaze never wandering from I'haach as he stalked along before them. _There's a lot more going on than just frustration or fear with him right now. This is something that only him and his closest friends can work out._

_How would you know?_

_It was only with you and Ith helping me that I could forgive myself for what I did to you._

Siffhah was silent, and then asked, _So, he's having the same sort of problem?_

_Worse. He's got to forgive himself for what he's done to himself and every friend he's ever had seven times._

_How do you know all this?_

_When we do that, I See every powerful emotion and its core that every person in the spell is feeling. It's the worst part of my power._

_Don't worry,_ Siffhah assured him, _I'm here for you._

_It's not me who needs somebody to be there for him._

………………………………………………………………………………

I'haach was silent the entire way back to the entrance, where the other three were waiting for them.

"How did it go?" Dauhieh asked uneasily, having seen that look on I'haach's face.

Siffhah opened her mouth to speak, but I'haach spoke first, "It didn't work."

"That's it?" Rhiow asked.

"What, were you expecting more? It didn't work, that's all. Let's get back to New York, and then head back home."

Urruah was about to snap at him, but Arhu's voice entered his mind, begging him not to. Urruah glanced over at Rhiow, who had also received the message, and they decided to trust him. Arhu had become incredibly mature in the past few months, as far as others' emotions went, at least.

Dauhieh, however, would not let the issue go. "I'haach, what are you talking about? Stop acting so depressed and tell us what happened."

"Nothing happened!" he yelled directly at her face. "You don't have to be so concerned about every little thing that happens to me, alright?"

"Well, it currently seems that you're being extremely immature and kitten-like. I've never seen you with such an absolute disregard of respect to others."

"Well, you know what? I've put up with this horrible masquerade of being a caring individual who wants everyone to be happy for long enough. Isn't it enough for me to be giving all of my lives to wizardry?"

"No, it's not if you're going to complain and yell about it! Now tell me exactly what's wrong before I shred your ears and pelt personally!"

"I AM YOUR TEAM LEADER AND YOUR SENIOR, AND THUS I ORDER YOU TO LET IT GO _NOW _DAUHIEH! That's all!"

Dauhieh's mouth dropped open as I'haach turned his tail to her and began walking towards the gates. That was _not _I'haach. He never actually gave _orders_.

_Be at your gates at 6 PM tonight, and I'll explain, _Arhu said.

Dauhieh, her fur still bristling slightly from the confrontation, nodded, still glaring at I'haach's back. _This had better be one heck of an explanation, or else I'll personally remove his throat with my teeth._

Arhu didn't respond, and that alone gave Dauhieh enough patience to follow her team leader through the gate, and all the way back through New York and Zurich to the butcher's shop. She left instantly, deciding that she had to be anywhere but with the bad tempered wizard.

That suited I'haach just fine. He slowly rolled over on the bed, trying to get a bit more sun on his underbelly. He feared that it was the last time he'd get to feel that sensation. He actually felt extremely horrible for how he'd acted to Dauhieh, Rhiow, Siffhah, Urruah and Arhu, but he needed them to hate him. For many reasons. Firstly, so that they wouldn't question his soon-to-come actions. Secondly, so they wouldn't miss him.

He slowly began making his plans for that night. Each single step he plotted in his head was agonizing, but he wouldn't stop. In his eyes, there were two clear emotions: resolve and acceptance.


	9. Chapter 9

As Dauhieh left the butcher's shop, she passed by Mano, who was in the middle of a rather small game of hauishh. It involved simply himself and a small, grey-furred queen across the street from him, as far as Dauhieh could tell.

"Hey, Mano," she said as she passed. "Would you mind explaining what you and Relleh are doing?"

"Yeah, of course," he said, abandoning his position and turning his back to the queen. "She's new to the Game, so I'm teaching her."

"Teaching…?"

"Yes. She's amazing! A real natural. She seems to be able to see the arena from every angle at just a glance!"

"Really?"

"Yes!" Mano said, apparently missing Dauhieh's sarcasm. "Earlier today, I was teaching her about how sometimes an angle where you can't see anyone is an advantage, because you can't be seen. I was using that dumpster as an example, but then she pointed out that you can see the reflection of almost everyone on the street from that window over there!"

"It sounds like _she_'s the one teaching _you_."

"Hey, I'm open to learning."

"Right," Dauhieh said. "Oh, by the way, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure, just name it."

"Well, I'haach is having some issues of some sort. I was just wondering if, you know, you see him doing anything unusual, you could tell me about it."

"Of course," Mano said. "Where are you going to be?"

"I have to get to the Metro soon, to—"

"Work on the gates?" Mano asked innocently.

"Yes, to work on the gates. Find me if he does anything."

"I will," Mano promised, turning back to the game.

Dauhieh began wandering along to the gate, taking the long way. She had far too much to think about. There was no way that I'haach meant anything that he said. That just wasn't him. Nothing could cause him to act like that seriously. It was just… inconceivable. No, it was not even imaginable. But why else would he do it?

_He has always had a tendency to not want anyone else to take the fall, or even to feel the pain. But he wouldn't be that protective and even irresponsible, if it were important. So it mustn't be important. But if it isn't important, why would he put up this act?_

Dauhieh shook her head. The entire situation just didn't make sense. But then again, she was a wizard. Things weren't _supposed _to make sense.

"'Luck, Dauhieh," Zach said.

Dauhieh turned to see the black cat standing there looking like he always did; aware, friendly, and somehow… antagonistic. That was Zach.

"Hunt's luck, Zach," Dauhieh responded. "Have we heard anything about Sihm?"

"Yes, I was just heading to the gates to go pick her up from Jakub's place."

The two of them were silent as they made their way towards the gate. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Zach asked, "If you don't mind, what was up with you and I'haach this afternoon?"

"What do you mean?" Dauhieh asked, doing her best to keep the anger from her voice.

"You know what I mean. You were both totally quiet, and every time you looked at each other I was afraid one of you was about to bite the other in the throat. Not to mention I could feel the anger in each of your minds."

"Were you snooping, then?" Dauhieh demanded, offended by the idea. She didn't mind speaking with her team mates through their thoughts, and even letting them completely into her mind occasionally. However, she wanted to at least have them ask permission first.

"When you and I'haach are mad, you are _loud _about it."

She sighed, and then shrugged her tail. "We had a disagreement. There's nothing more to it."

"Whatever you say," Zach responded. "Just don't let it get too bad."

"Don't worry, I won't. Here, let me get the gate for you." They had reached their gates, so Dauhieh plunged her claws into the matrices of strings and knots, and began weaving them back and forth, configuring them into the arrangements necessary for the gates in Kiev. They were very familiar to her, as she was used to visiting the advisory wizard at least once a week. This was truly the main reason that she loved her job as a wizard. The exotic locations, the power, the camaraderie, those were all fine, but the simple feeling of working with such magnificent structures and having them recognize her, it was indescribable.

She closed her eyes as she worked, relying simply on their physical presence and the energy radiating from the strings to guide her. Zach backed off a bit, letting Dauhieh worked. He and Dauhieh had worked together for years, so they understood each other very well. One thing that somebody who worked with Dauhieh soon learned was that you didn't want to intrude on her while she was working with her gates. He simply began washing and humming to himself.

All of a sudden, Dauhieh gasped, and her eyes opened wide. Zach looked over, and saw that she was frozen stiff, a shocked expression on her face. He ran over to her, and gazed into those large eyes.

"Dauhieh?" he asked, concerned. "Dauhieh!"

He tried bumping her head with his own, but it did nothing. Finally, as a last resort, he let one of his claws out, and sank it into one of her ears. She didn't move.

"Dauhieh, come on, snap out of it!" he yelled.

But she couldn't hear.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Hello? _Dauhieh asked. She was in a large, empty dark space. Then, a voice came to her.

_I'm sorry that I couldn't warn you more about this. I'm kind of new with this whole thought riding thing._

_What do you mean? _she asked, very confused now. It sounded like Arhu's voice, but a bit more harsh and rackety.

_I'm going to show you a little trick that a friend of mine named Odin taught me._

Dauhieh had the impression that she was being bitten in the back of the neck by some sort of massive beak, a larger beak than she'd ever seen on a crow or any other bird, and claws grasping her sides firmly. Then she was in the air, flapping her… wings?

_Calm down, _Arhu ordered. _Your adrenaline is throwing me off-kilter. I'm going to show you a few images, and you're going to need to be calm for them._

_But how?_

_I picked up a few tricks back in London, and I've been wanting to test them out. This is what I'haach was experiencing every time one of the bugs hit him in my Seeing._

Then they were gone, flying through the air.

Dauhieh saw I'haach, along with four other cats, standing in a magic circle. He looked strangely young. Not that he wasn't young now, but there was something in his eyes that was inexperienced and uncertain.

_This is I'haach, during his first life, _Arhu informed her from somewhere inside their shared body. _One of his most painful memories._

"Hold the shield!" a greying tabby cat was yelling. Three of the five cats were working on their barrier, two running the actual spell, and I'haach powering it with apparently everything he had. "We're almost through!"

They were going through a strange dark field filled with noxious fumes, and there were _ehif _dying all around them, coughing horribly.

_Welcome to the battle of Ypres. It took me a while to figure it out, but in the end I just asked Urruah._

_Urruah?_

_Yeah, apparently he's got a flair for history._

_But what are they doing here?_

_There was one Canadian wizard who was working as a soldier. He said he found something important, so important he would only trust it to a wizard he could see face to face, and that he couldn't leave. Right now, or right then, I'haach and the Quebec City team, lead by Gref, are trying to reach him through chlorine gas and shells, with only a shield held by a young and newly added team member protecting them._

"How long do we have, Gref?" the marmalade cat who wasn't involved in the casting asked.

"At this rate, we'll be lucky if the _ehif_'s still alive."

"We need to move faster!"

"We can't go any faster without weakening the shield!" cried a day-and-night cat beside I'haach in between syllables of the Speech.

All of a sudden, a shell soared down at them from above. It smashed directly into the shield. I'haach and the two wizards working the shield cried out at the added strain, but it held.

However, the land about them was sundered and destroyed, ripped to pieces and formed into large holes.

"We can't get through now!" Gref yelled. "This isn't going to work."

"Well one of us has to get whatever it is. If it's too important to be messaged, then we need it."

There was silence for a moment as the team thought it over. Finally, Gref said quietly, "Hey I'haach, do you think you could climb up the side unprotected, raise a personal shield, and get yourself through this to the _ehif_?"

"What? But the four of you can't power it without me here!"

"That doesn't matter. Can you do it?"

A long pause. "Yes, I could do it."

"Then do it."

I'haach dropped his shield and quickly scampered over the top of the crater caused by the shell. Then he had his shield up again, noticeably paler without the aid of the other two cats, and he was running helter-skelter through the poisoned air and rocking explosions.

Dauhieh watched, tense, as the small kitten who would grow into her friend ran to the trenches of the Canadian Armed Forces. A few shells nearly hit him, and one actually knocked him over with its force once, but otherwise he was fine.

He crawled along through the trenches, with Dauhieh and Arhu flapping close behind him. He went on a short while before stopping next to one soldier who was laying flat at the bottom of the dirty ground. He was a boy really, no older than eighteen.

"John Carlson?" I'haach asked softly.

"Who's that?"

"I am on errantry, and I greet you." There was already that slightly familiar confidence in his voice, nowhere near its current level.

The _ehif _wizard coughed a few times before responding. "You are well met on the errand. I must say it will be nice to not die alone."

Dauhieh could see that I'haach wanted to say something to the contrary, but seeing the blood he'd coughed into his hands, the young kitten could find nothing to say.

"Well, I won't depress you too much," the _ehif _said. "Here's what I found. It took a lot of doing, too, so you'd better find some use for it."

He leaned in close to I'haach's ear, and began whispering something. Arhu and Dauhieh could hear it as well. A long string of words in the Speech, which as soon as they entered their hearing, seemed permanently burned into their minds.

As he finished saying the words, the boy died, coughing violently. I'haach waited until it was over, before running back out of the trench. He brought his shield up again, and headed quickly over to where his compatriots were waiting. As he reached the crater, he looked down into it.

"Quickly, I'haach, get in here!" the marmalade ordered. He sounded frightened.

"What's wrong?"

"Gref, the chlorine, it got into his lungs before we could stop it. We need to get him out of here!"

"I'll be right down!" I'haach yelled, and started making his way down to where they sat. However, an instant later, a whistling sound filled their ears. I'haach spun around, saw the shell aiming for them. He gazed down at the others, measuring the area. Not small enough to get everyone into the shield. He threw it up, aiming it around the other four, and leaving himself totally exposed.

The whistling reached a climax, and smashed into the ground directly next to I'haach. For a moment he was flying, and then the vision went black.

Silence. Then Dauhieh was a cat again, in the darkness, alone with Arhu beside her.

_That was his first life's end._

_What happened to Gref?_

_He died. I'haach learned that during his fifth life._

_Oh._

The two were silent for a time. Finally, Dauhieh said, _Was there any other reason that you needed me?_

_Yes. He got slashed a total of seven times. Each time…_

_You Saw his deaths?_

_Yes, but the thing is, there's always a few things similar._

_Like?_

_Someone always dies. Normally someone very close to him. For example, I'haach was amongst Gref and his mate's litter._

_Anything else?_

_Yes. He always dies retrieving a few words in the Speech._

_Are they related?_

_I was looking at all of them, and I found that they seemed to link together into a spell structure._

_Would you mind if I took a look?_

_Yes, just a second. _Dauhieh waited while Arhu raised up the diagram in his mind. There were still several parts missing. All throughout it, it went along normally, with the power requirements and energy output. However, there were some strange parts to it.

_Here, look at this, _Dauhieh said, gesturing with her paw towards a small portion of the cost clause. It was strange. _Does it say that the cost is…_

_Yes. Sixteen lives._

_That's a strange cost…_

_Definitely. However, I think I might have the answer to that. From what I've seen, eight of his closest partners died in the past lives. During the fifth life, his entire team of three was wiped out._

_Meaning that only one more is needed, if you count his seven lives?_

_Exactly._

_But that means… he'll sacrifice himself for it?_

_He might. You never know. But one thing's for sure, I doubt he'll let any of you be the one to fuel it. But now, back to the spell, _Arhu reminded her. _Look a bit closer. The shape is octagonal, and most of it is done but for a small amount of each side, suggesting a part is missing._

_Meaning he has to find the last part._

_That's what I'm assuming. Also, with the spell in its current condition it would make an extremely powerful, if extremely costly, shield. In fact, it should cost most of a Person's life._

Dauhieh sighed. Things just kept becoming more complicated. _Is that all?_

_No. One last thing, and it's the most important, in my eyes._

_What?_

_Each time, the piece of the spell that either he or another wizard found gave off a significant magic ripple._

Dauhieh found she couldn't breathe. _Powerful enough to show up on a gate?_

_Precisely._

_But that means…!_

_Yes. He's going to try to get back through that passage, as soon as he can. No matter what the cost to himself._

_I need to go, now._

_I'm going to get Urruah and Rhiow. We'll meet you there._

Dahieh left the darkness.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Dauhieh!"

Dauhieh opened her eyes, finding Zach leaning over her.

"Oh, thank Iau!"

"There's no time for that."

"What do you mean?" Zach asked, confused.

"We need to get back to the butcher shop," Dauhieh ordered, and quickly began writing the spell diagram that would take them to the small bedroom where she'd left I'haach.

"What's wrong, Dauhieh?"

"I'haach's about to go kamikaze unless we can stop him," she said simply. "Here, I need you to power this."

Without hesitation, Zach plunged his claws into the diagram. "Let's go."

They spoke the words, and disappeared in Zach's surge of energy.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

With a bang, they appeared in the bedroom. Luckily, Chraih wasn't in it, but they managed to seriously scare Mano.

"Do you guys mind announcing yourselves before you do that?"

"No time, Mano. Where's I'haach?"

"I don't know. I came up here to see if he was alright, but he was gone."

Dauhieh and Zach traded a frightened look.

"That hihhhh sswiass!" Zach cursed. "Let's go, Dauhieh."

"Right, to Kiev first, and then to the Old Downside!"

"What's going on?" Mano asked.

"We've got some heavy magic to do."

"Hunt's luck, I guess."

"We always are."

Zach and Dauhieh finished their spell, and then they were gone with a pop.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Alright, it was a long time coming. There'll be another chapter after this, and then that'll be the end. Special thanks to Relik for the help with deciding on my ending. Don't worry, Relik, you weren't responsible for the death of anyone. Any deaths that may or may not occur would have happened either way. Well, here it is. I hope you like it.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The darkness. It was something that I'haach had never really considered before now. As he stood at the entrance to that great mountain, looking down into its darkest depths he'd ever seen on any planet, in any world. Back when he'd been a young and inexperienced Person, still tripping over his own paws as he learned the ropes of wizardry, he had feared the darkness. Why? Probably because of the unknown. Possibly because of the potential in that dark. The potential for anything, good or bad.

I'haach had long since shed that fear. He had a much more real fear now. Annoyingly enough, he only ever seemed to be afraid of it when he was nearing the end of his life. That one fear was certainty. He had it worse than Arhu, in many ways. Arhu saw how things _might _turn out for anyone at anytime. I'haach, well, he was absolutely sure how long each life would last, how it would end, and how it would go next time. Not to mention how he would look in each one. He scratched at his fur a bit, annoyed. He might have been able to get over the whole predictable ten-months-of-life-then-relive-every-time-you've-ever-died-and-then-do-it-one-more-time thing, if only he could have a different kind of fur other than grey tabbying! He would have to take that up with the Powers after his ninth life, no matter where he went.

But, then again, that was wizardry. You did whatever it took from you, didn't ask anyone else to make your sacrifice, and then you had to step around with all the rules and instructions in place. Then you had to get out alive. Sometimes.

And then sometimes, well, you had to give it everything, including your life. _Especially_ your life, some might say.

Shaking his head and knowing it would be the last time he entered these caverns with that scar on his face. More than usual, it seemed, the thought disturbed him. Dauhieh kept coming to his mind, but he forced her out. He didn't have the time to hesitate; he was already feeling the draw on his power from holding the gates shut. There were some things more important than his personal feelings, and wizardry was definitely one of them.

With a heavy heart, I'haach turned back to the entrance, and made his way down into the darkness, knowing his pathway perfectly well.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Come on, we need to get going! Don't act like a swiass now!" Dauhieh muttered, her claws completely full of strings.

They had done a simple gating to Kiev in order to pick up Sihm, and then the three had headed to the Kiev gates, thinking to use them to go to the Old Downside. However, those gates had decided not to work for them. So, the three had gone back to Bahnhofstrasse, thinking that their gates would respond to their touch a bit better. However, even they were not listening to any of them. Currently, she had finally broken down and begun swearing at them.

"Dauhieh, what's wrong?" Zach asked.

"They're not working!"

"What do you mean?" Sihm asked.

"It feels as if they're actually fighting me. They won't let me do anything with them!"

"Oh, the vhai they won't! Here, make room for us," Zach ordered.   
Dauhieh shoved herself over, trying to let Zach and Sihm get their claws into the gate with her. They began passing the strings between them, trying to use a few different variations and figures, including some very complicated ones which Dauhieh had been unable to use alone. However, none proved effective.

"This isn't working!" Dauhieh finally yelled.

"But what would that possibly mean? These gates love you," Sihm asked.

"Either the Powers or I'haach don't want us down there," was all Zach could say.

The three were silent for a short time, as though they were waiting for someone to propose a solution. At length, Sihm asked, "So what do we do? We're on They're errantry, so we should listen to Them, shouldn't we? And I'haach's our captain, so we have to listen to him."

"Hihhhh," Zach hissed. "If only it were so simple as that."

"No, it's simpler," Dauhieh interrupted in a monotone voice. "In this case, as our captain defacto, I think that we'll disobey our absent captain who's given us no real orders, and I also think that the three of us will disobey Them, if that's the case, just this once, and go save our captain. Any arguments?"

After a moment of waiting, Dauhieh said, "Alright. We're going to have to start powering through the gates. The two of you will act as power sources. Don't hold anything back. Meanwhile, I'll do all the weaving that's necessary. Throughout it, I'll be taking and passing strings to you, so just don't focus on it. Any questions?"

"Yes, actually," Sihm said. "What if the Powers see what we're doing, and stop us by more direct means?"

"Well, we can't let that happen, can we? That's why we need to be fast. Now come on, let's begin."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

I'haach stood before the open gate to that cursed passage, staring through it to the catenary beyond. All he would have to do was put a claw into there for a couple seconds at most, and then pull a string out and through it. Then he could go through, find that last piece of the spell, and use what was left of his life to power it, and then…

And then what? He didn't know the answer to that question. He had no idea what the spell would do, and he severely doubted that he would live long enough after acquiring it to find out. It would be simple blind faith that whatever it was would be put to good use in what would be its only ever casting. However, that seemed to be the only option at the current moment. He doubted that he would even _get _a choice. And if he did, what would he say? Waste the effort of eight lives for nothing? Possibly push his burden onto someone else's shoulders? Not likely.

I'haach sighed. He had to get going. He could feel Dauhieh, Zach, and Sihm's efforts against the gates from their world. From everything he could tell, the Powers were working against them, and if They were taking a personal interest into it, then they had very little chance at all, and I'haach's mission was all the more important.

With a slight feeling of regret, I'haach called up the incompleted octagonal spell diagram, and began speaking the spell. It would probably take him at least five minutes to finish it.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Come on, come on, _come on!_" Dauhieh cried, pushing with all her mental might against the barrier, and holding the strings as steady as possible in her shaking paws. She could feel the other two on her sides also throwing themselves into it. No matter what they summoned up, they just couldn't seem to get it down.

Finally, Dauhieh simply stopped, breathing deeply and slumping down. _Oh Iau, _she thought quietly, _why can't you let me have this? Why does he have to die? He's so young, and so strong! Just let him be, and I'll never ask anything of you again!_

There was no answer. There never was an answer, unless you didn't need it.

With another sigh, Dauhieh threw herself into the gate again. She was so surprised when it actually began opening that she almost dropped her strings.

"Hey, it worked!" Zach said, surprised.

"Did you two feel anything?" Dauhieh asked, totally confused.

"No," Sihm said simply. "The resistance simply stopped…"

"Meaning that we're already probably too late," Dauhieh interrupted. "Let's go."

Dauhieh let the other two leap through first, before throwing herself past the gate's entrance. She landed gracefully on the other side with her added weight. However, she wasn't in the mood to enjoy her muscled form at the moment, and neither were the other two, so they set off quickly after shutting the gate.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

I'haach was extremely surprised by how quickly the power began draining from him as soon as he finished his spell. Knowing that every moment counted now, he dropped his energy which was focused on the holding of the gates. As quickly as he could, I'haach leaped through the open gate, and was instantly surrounded by the masses of insects, all pressing in, all about to sink in their claws…

The claws stopped. Just before they struck him, every one of the claws stopped. None of them managed to permeate his shield.

_Well, _I'haach thought as he began stepping forward through the writhing mass, _at least it works._

He made his way slowly down the passage, being careful not to trip or fall as he went. He made it, but just barely. It really took a long time, what with the huge pull on him. Without a thought, I'haach plunged his claws into the gate's core and began reweaving them, tying in and pulling through.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

At some point during their mad dash through the tunnels, Dauhieh, Sihm and Zach heard the sound of running behind them, and then the New York Team was with them, running in stride. None of them even stopped to acknowledge the new partners; there was too little time.

It didn't take them long to reach the gate. Each of the seven People wanted to get through to get a view at the gate, but Dauhieh arrived first.

She ran out in front of the gate, looking through just in time to see I'haach leap through a new gate. "Vhai!" she yelled. She peered through the second gate, just being able to see past the swarming bodies. Her eyes widened as she stared through the gate.

"Arhu, we need to See where I'haach is," Dauhieh told him.

"We've tried before, Dauhieh, it doesn't work. Those creatures are in the mental world as well as the physical."

"We don't need to go through the passage. I know the exact coordinates."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

I'haach heard the others running up behind him as he stepped through the gate, but he didn't look back. It would be too much for him to handle. So instead, he walked out, through the gate and into the room above Chraih's butcher shop.

He stopped for a moment, and actually said aloud, "What?"

It wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting. Finding himself in the room he slept in every night was, to say the very least, a letdown. He was expecting some kind of final climactic battle for that piece, on a windswept plain or a dark land filled with an overshadowed race or… something!

"I'm sorry if it disappoints you, I'haach."

I'haach spun around to face the one Person he'd expected to be there, and the other One person he'd expected to see there at the same moment.

"Fairest and Fallen," I'haach began, knowing the next few lines off by heart, "greeting and defiance, now and always! State your intentions: and then beware, for we are on the Queen's errantry, and you meddle with Her worlds at your peril!"

"Oh, I'haach. Why so formal?" Mano asked, smirking at the young wizard. "We've been living together for ten months…"

"I repeat my demands," I'haach panted, feeling the drain still.

"Well, in that case," Mano, or sa'Raah, muttered. "My intentions are to save you a good deal of pain. And I'm not meddling with worlds this time. Only with you, my small friend."

"What do you mean?" I'haach asked, swaying slightly. "And be quick about it, I haven't got much time left."

"Well, in short, I've been listening to your thoughts lately. I know how you feel about your responsibilities and the all norm of your position. I know that you want a break from the never ending cycle."

"Anything else you know?" I'haach asked, getting very annoyed.

"Yes. Only two more things, I promise. I know how to get you out of that cycle, and also I know the final eighth of your spell." She paused for effect. "Are you interested?"

I'haach looked up into those terrible eyes. "What are you playing at?"

"In short. That symbol in your name is extremely old, and it has been found in the name of every preceding Champion before they earned their true power. That all powerful spell is new and unique in your case. However, they're two small parts of a larger puzzle. You are meant to become, in your ninth life, an avatar of the Champion."

There was a silence for several moments. Finally, I'haach asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

"The pain won't stop in your next life. You know that. You'll simply make and lose friends, no matter what your power. There's nothing you can do about it. Unless you take my offer. Obviously, I don't want another embodiment of the Champion up and running so quickly after I dealt with that pitiful Irish brat. So here's my proposition: I'll bring you back to your first life. I'll erase all those memories, and make sure that you don't start collecting those spell pieces. You can live a nice, normal life, or at least as normal as a wizard _can_ have, and you'll be able to do the one thing you've always wanted. I'll let you grow old. It's somewhat like what you're currently experiencing, but much slower and much less dramatic," the Power informed him, looking at I'haach's fur, which was quickly losing its sheen and becoming much thinner and raggedy. "I assure you, there is a certain pleasure in that feeling which everybody feels. Everyone complains, but there is satisfaction…"

Sa'Raah waited until I'haach inclined his head, before continuing. "Or, you could go on, feel the pain, feel the loss, and not just the loss of others' lives in your next life. You could feel the loss of losing _her_."

"What? Who are you talking about?" I'haach asked, confused.

"Dauhieh." She let the word hang in the air. "You love her. You know that you love her. Even if you won't accept it, you _know_. As it is, you will lose her, you'll never see her again, and you will have wasted one more life without love."

I'haach had actually stopped breathing, and not just from the strain of holding the shield around him.

"Think quickly. From what I know of that shield, you have only eight minutes left."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Dauhieh watches all this with the others around her in disbelief. She finds it amazing to even consider I'haach loving her, but even as she thinks about it right now, it doesn't seem too farfetched. There is something about him, something young and emotionally inexperienced yet old and mature. She likes him, really, she does…

No, she _loves _him. She doesn't want to see him go. But…

Not if it means that I'haach will betray his wizardry. That would be the ultimate tragedy. I'haach is such a good wizard, he can't just give up.

Dauhieh looks over at her two partners from her own team. Zach and Sihm are both looking at her questioningly. They want to know what she's thinking. Dauhieh simply shakes her head, and gives them a look which says, "No, I don't want this."

The team looks back to the drama unfolding beneath them, knowing that there is nothing they can do about its outcome.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Well, have you made your decision yet?" sa'Raah asked. "I'm very busy with my work, and I need to get going soon."

I'haach's breathing was coming extremely laboured. He understood perfectly well how true everything that sa'Raah was telling him. However, he didn't seem to be feeling any of it. There was a certain numbness. Finally, at long last, I'haach turned to look Mano in the eye.

"You knew my answer before I came here," I'haach told him.

"Of course. Why else would I waste my precious time precious time if I didn't…"

"Tell me the vhai'd final part of my spell, and stop wasting my time."

Sa'Raah whipped Her head around to stare at I'haach in rage. "What?"

I'haach looked at him as evenly as possible as he panted and leaned heavily on his forepaws. It was getting hard to stand. "I won't die a traitor."

"_What!_" She demanded again, this time seeming to grow at least twice his size.

Suddenly, the words he had to say were flowing into his mind from the Whisperer's mouth. He said the words he was destined to say, and, to say the least, it felt _good_. "Fairest and Fallen," I'haach cried out, his voice resonating even deeper than that of someone in the throes spellcasting. Every sound stopped, and he continued. "Fairest and Fallen, I come, servant of the One and Her worlds! I come, representing my People, my world, and my Queen! I come, given a Choice, my second choice! I have passed my ordeal and grown with its challenge! And now, _I DEMAND MY RIGHT_! I demand the power to change, to save, to help, to heal! I demand this from my greatest Foe, and from Her shall I receive my power, if not in this life, then the next! Now, at long last, I accept _my _inheritance."

As the words ended, everything went silent for a moment, and I'haach's haggard breathing was the only sound to be heard. Then, as though trying to repress some horrible reaction to something foul He had bitten into, Mano, and sa'Raah through him, fidgeted. Once, and then again. Slowly, his mouth opened of its own volition, and She spoke the words given him by the Queen Herself.

They came out, burning their ways into the minds of all who heard them. There was power, finality, and fear in them. Fear of what they would bring the One Who said them. I'haach listened attentively to them, even though his eyes kept going blank during the experience. The words seemed to make the world shake as they reached their climax, with the extreme power of their resonance.

The words ended, and I'haach stood tall again, for one moment. There was a look of acceptance on his face, one which showed how completely he'd accepted the path before him, no matter the pain it caused him. But only for one moment.

The next, he was hit by a ball of claws and fur, hissing and spitting as it came in. I'haach went down and rolled with Mano, doing his best to get on top, or to get any purchase or advantage over the larger cat, but he just couldn't do it in his weakened state. And oh, how he cursed then, knowing that all his work and lives would be for nothing if he couldn't speak that single spell.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

On a different world, many millennia ago, Dauhieh ripped out of the spell and threw herself towards the gate.

"Dauhieh, don't be stupi-" Zach began, but didn't even finish by the time Dauhieh was running through the passage. All he and the others could do was watch as the massive calico lioness set herself against the masses of bugs.

Dauhieh was lightning. The bugs didn't have a chance of catching her as she rushed around them, ducking under claws and jumping over entire bodies as she went. At one point, she had to lean dangerously over to the left to rip into one bug's form with her teeth to keep it out of her way. The taste burned her mouth, but she didn't let it slow her as she continued running with everything she had.

She reached the gate and jumped through, aiming her jump perfectly to get through and at the same time hit Mano with a powerful blow that knocked him off of I'haach and tumbling to the floor, with him now on the bottom and Dauhieh on top. The two, who had often slept together in their ehif's lap, content in the presence and warmth of the other, bit and scratched as they rolled on the floor, now the most desperate of enemies. Mano was filled with the desire to finish the battle as quickly as possible, in the hopes of killing I'haach before he could finish his spell, while Dauhieh simply kept it going as long as possible, looking for an opportunity to get in a painful bite or scratch.

"What do you think you'll accomplish, Dauhieh?" Mano, and sa'Raah through him, asked her in-between bites. "He'll die no matter what you do!"

"I don't care! All I care about is that what he needs to do gets done!"

"How can you say that? You love him as much as he loves you!"

"For once, sa'Raah," Dauhieh gasped as she got a bit on one foreleg, "you've overestimated the power of love. And, at the same time," she added, "underestimated."

"I think you're getting delusional," sa'Raah informed her as he bit into again and again, doing no real damage.

"I think I'm seeing clearer than you are. You've overestimated what lengths we'll go to keep our love alive. And you've underestimated the fact that I love him enough to let him go! Oh, and by the way, you made another miscalculation."

"And what would that be?" Mano asked, very annoyed now.

"Unlike I'haach, I'm not too preoccupied to cast a spell," she said, at nearly the same time she finished thinking the last words to her spell. There was a loud banging, and then Mano was gone.

Dauhieh sighed. Now, Mano's body was up somewhere in the vacuum of interstellar space, and he didn't stand a chance, unless for some reason sa'Raah chose to save him. But She never did anything like that. She used Her vessels, and then disposed of them.

Dauhieh turned her attention instead to I'haach.

He lay in a pool of his own blood, and he wasn't moving.


	11. Chapter 11

Dauhieh padded softly over to I'haach's still form. His blood was leaking out onto the floor slowly, from several deep gashes in his side. He was breathing, though just barely.

"I'haach," she said softly.

"Dauhieh? What are you doing here?" he asked, pausing once or twice to cough up his own blood.

"I got here through the gate."

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, managing to sound quite annoyed through his weakness. "You mean I had to blow a life to power a shield to get through here, and you just waltz through like it's nothing?"

"Oh, I'm sorry if it offended you," Dauhieh said. "I guess that I'll just go on back now, then, and leave you here to die."

"Hey, since you're already here, why don't you stay? I want somebody here to witness my death."

"Oh, come on, don't be so vhai'd melodramatic," she muttered. "You're not going to die. I can cast a healing spell, all I need is…"

"Dauhieh, even if you could heal my wounds, all it would buy me is a couple more seconds to live before this shield spell killed me. Besides, I need to cast one more spell which is going to burn off the remainder of this life."

"But you can't go! We still need you."

"No you don't. Dauhieh, you're a better leader than I'll ever be, you just don't realise it. Besides, I didn't have much of a use on this team…"

Dauhieh hesitated a moment, before she finally whispered, "But _I_ still need you."

I'haach didn't answer for a moment. "You know that I want to stay with you. But I can't. In a different time, it might've worked, but right now…"

"I know. I know, it's just so… so…" Dauhieh was at a loss for words. "I don't know. What do you think?"

In response, all I'haach did was put his whiskers forward a bit, and then begin speaking the first parts of his spell. Dauhieh, having heard every word of it in Arhu's visions, softly began reciting them with him.

As they spoke, the words began hanging litterally in the air, glowing and glimmering. Their deepness and resonance constantly became more and more dramatic, until the very earth began shaking. Even as Zach, Sihm and the New York team leapt out of the gate on Banhofstrasse they could feel it, rumbling beneath and around them.

I'haach and Dauhieh began speaking the cost portion, and as they listed off each of the sixteen lives' component, a separate glowing circle of words in the speech would materialize themselves. The final, sixteenth life component was somewhat dimmer than the other fifteen, however, as I'haach continued to grow weaker and his blood continued pulsing away from him, its luminance increased. The words continued shaking the earth, and the circle continued getting brighter as they continued, increasing in tempo and power.

Finally, the words ended, and a great silence ensued. It was a calm after a storm, a general deafness and muteness of everything in the world. The entire world had paused for a moment to wait for the ending of this great spellcasting. Waiting, just waiting…

And then it came. I'haach's breathing stopped, and his eyes glazed over. In his own mind, however, just as he was about to leave his body forever, a voice said to him, _You have done well, son._

_My Queen, _I'haach instantly responded in his thoughts.

_Tell me, do you have any regrets?_

_Other than the obvious? _he asked, staring at Dauhieh. _None._

_I'm sorry that it had to be this way._

_I'm not. It was the only way it could have been. I wouldn't have been the same Person if it hadn't been for all the responsibility You placed on me._

_So, tell me, as the ehif say, is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?_

_Honestly? _I'haach said simply, still staring at the older calico cat looking down at him as he died. _I can't even put into words how much I agree with that sentence._

_I'm glad you've had some pleasure, then. Now rest. You've earned it, and besides, you'll have enough work to do soon enough._

_Just one thing before I go._

_Alright, I'll allow it._

Putting his whiskers forward, I'haach lunged forward and, with his last breath, gave Dauhieh a quick lick on the ear.

He was gone, then.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Four months later

Dauhieh stretched and got up, groaning as she got off of Chraih's bed and began crawling down the long set of stairs down to the main floor of the shop. She opened the door with a quick spell, and stepped out into the early morning light. She quickly sidled herself, and began making her way towards metro station several blocks away.

It was all she could do to keep her eyes open as she walked, what with how late she'd been working the night before. Patching the gate after what I'haach had done to seal it four months before had taken a very long time. He knew what he was doing.

_Maybe he's had to hold people back while he went on a suicide mission before… _she thought, stepping casually around a newspaper stand. _Or, maybe, he wasn't concerned about how much energy he threw into it, seeing as he knew he was going to die in a couple hours._

The possibilities wandered through her head as she wandered along the street. She hoped that Zach would show up soon. She hated walking alone down the street. She had been used to it, before I'haach came, but then she'd gotten used to having somebody to tease and to talk with. Now that he was gone, it was weird.

All of a sudden, she stopped. _What was that? _she thought, working her ears to try and listen a bit harder. She was sure that she'd heard something…

"Good morning, Dauhieh."

The voice stopped her in her tracks. Slowly, she turned herself around until she faced him. I'haach. Or, at least, the new I'haach. The only thing which identified this cat as the grey tabby kitten she used to know was the voice. Besides that, everything was different.

The fur which, to the tom's eternal annoyance, had always before been grey and striped, was now a beautiful, long, marmalade coat which blew softly in the breeze. When he moved, it was with a grace and confidence which seemed impossible for a young kitten of his age, only about two months. Whenever he lifted a paw from the ground, one could see the barely concealed claws which were blinding to the sight. Finally, and the most impressive of all were his eyes, their piercing, deep gold colour. Behind them was a fire which didn't appear to be possible to be quenched.

"I'm on errantry," he told her, his long whiskers far forward at her stunned expression, "and I greet you."

"You are well met on the errand," she muttered, an automatic response. "Though I must ask you, _what the vhai are you doing here_?"

I'haach let out a long, hearty laugh. "Sihm and Zach said the exact same things when I went to see them. Don't be afraid if they're a bit shaken up when you get to the gates. They have reason to be. Seeing the One's Champion can have that effect."

"Without a doubt, it's having that kind of an effect on me right now. But seriously, why are you here?"

I'haach approached her, and a strange humming feeling filled her head. "Sorry about the sound, it comes with my new claws here." He lifted a paw, letting out one of the long claws. It burned with a brilliance which was painful to behold for one moment, before he put it back in his paw. "I've tried, and I can't get it to stop. Just bear with it; I can't stay here long."

"Which brings me back to my question. Why are you here?"

"I've got some spare time. Odds are I'll never see the three of you again, and I wanted to tie up some loose ends before things got hectic again."

"Again? You've only been alive for, at most, four months!"

"Two, actually," I'haach corrected. "Even though I was born with the Champion in my mind, I had to become a wizard again, which meant taking the Oath, which meant having an Ordeal. Let me tell you, a Champion's Ordeal is _not_ fun. Seriously, did you know that the melting point of skin can…"

"I don't even think I want to know, if you don't mind. Hey, by the way, the next time you try to override and seal a gate, don't overdo it so much that it takes four months to repair."

"Ah, sorry about that. I wasn't thinking too much about the future."

"Apparently not."

They continued walking along for a time, simply enjoying each other's presence. It was the way it used to be, it seemed, back when they had both been members of the Zurich gating team. It seemed a long time ago to both, years rather than months. Finally, each felt that they had to say something, and said,

"Look, I'm—"

"I never meant to—"

They stopped, and then they both laughed.

"Alright, this is awkward," I'haach said.

"That it is."

"Okay, well, my kind co-inhabitant of my body is telling me that we're needed. I'll see you around, then," I'haach said, turning away.

"Wait one second."

"What?" He said, turning back to her.

She leaned forward and licked his ear, then put her whiskers forward. "I owed you that one for when you left. Hunt's luck."

With that, she turned away and ran down the street, beginning to fill with early morning shoppers.

I'haach, left behind with himself and his Partner, put his whiskers slowly forward. _I deserved that._

_I hate to agree with a host, but yeah, you did. Now let's get back to work._

I'haach, taking one last look at the retreating cat, turned around, and disappeared with a banging noise, just one more noise in the busy street, on just one more day.

The End


End file.
